Death Memories
by Trafalgar Neo
Summary: Born with three powers. Plagued with painful, crippling memories that don't belong to her. Eira sets out to find those her memories really belong to and kill them. But how exactly does one kill a Warlord and his well protected lover? Multi OCs Neo/Law
1. Prowl P1

Prowl

Part One

 _The fire's burning, hot and wild, with no signs of an end to the madness. Guns fire. Loud pops in the air followed by the smell of hot gunpowder. The smoke is thick and burns her lungs. But there's something worse waiting for her. Something far, far worse._

 _They lay out before her on the floor, covered in blood. Her parents, so it appears. But she doesn't have parents. The iron smell of the blood sticks in her nose, making her stomach turn. The sick feeling bubbles up in her throat, burning like her lungs, at seeing them lying in pools of their own blood. The blood is darkened from the darkness in the room, but it's there nonetheless. Blood. Their blood that should also be hers, but it's not. Her lips part from each other. A tiny, scared voice comes from her, but it doesn't sound like her voice. It's the voice of a young boy. The voice is scared, all alone. Suffering from something a child shouldn't have to face. She, or he, calls out for help, but no one comes._

 _No one ever comes._

 _More gunshots. This time they're accompanied by the voices of men._

 _"Search the whole town!" one voice says._

 _"We can't let there be any survivors!" another one said._

 _Thundering sounds of boots on the outside streets pass by the window of the building she's hiding in They block out the crackling of the fire that's set the town ablaze. She needs to leave. There's one more. She needs to find her. A little girl, her sister. It should be her sister, but she's not. She doesn't have a sister. It's the little boy's sister._

 _Still she runs. She always runs._

 _Or she thinks it's her running. It should be her running. She feels the panic, the hot flames of the fire burning her, his, hometown to the ground, the real fear of losing another person dear to her. But they're not hers to lose. They never are. Still it hurts her to lose them._

 _Her heart takes a sharp jolt at the sight of the woman lying on the ground. Another one dead, two more dead, ten dead, twenty dead, the whole town is dead. The woman's speaks, but she can't understand her. She has no idea what the woman is saying. She looks up to the building she was running to. A hospital. It too is in flames. It's all in flames. Several yards away she can feel the flames that have this building engulfed just like the rest of the town._

 _She drops to her knees. Tears flow from her eyes. A scream erupts from somewhere deep inside as something snaps inside of her, inside of him. She feels completely broke. The pain is real. The one she was searching for is inside this burning building. Now dead. Just like everyone else. Her family is dead. The whole town is dead. But this isn't hers. It shouldn't be happening. But the pain is too real. It's always real. And it's_ _their_ _entire fault. She's going to kill them for it…_

Eira opened her eyes. The world around her was completely blurry to her. Her head spun with dizziness so even if everything weren't blurry she wouldn't be able to see it from all the spinning anyway. She heard the crackling of the fire, felt its warm flames against her skin and smelled the smoke but couldn't see it. All she could see was a blurry orange blob that was right in front of her. Or it was in front of her when it spun there. Other than that it was all over the place. She heard the sounds of people speaking, but they were too far away from her to understand them. Even her own voice was distant in her ears. Sounding as far away as the moon and sun always looked. Through her dizziness, she managed to place her hand on her face. Her skin was hot from the fire. A low growl rumbled in her throat before she said, "I'm going to kill them. Both of them will pay for this. They will pay for this pain."

"Huh?" a man's voice said. The voices murmuring started to become clearer in her ears. "What are you talking about, girl? You're outnumbered. There's no way you can defeat us."

"That's right," Eira said as she lifted her eyes to the man who spoke. Her vision was still blurry but it was clearing more and more with each passing second. Her dizziness was fading as well. The world was starting to become clear again. And she instantly regretted it doing that since she could now smell their unwashed bodies with her sensitive nose. A nose that came in handy a lot also had a huge down side to it. She always had to deal with the bad smells of the unwashed. And this group of fifty unwashed…she sniffed the air…make that seventy five unwashed men, was making her want to curl up and retch everything up that she had in her stomach at the moment. And that was very little. She couldn't waste it. Not on these clowns. She started to remember where she was and what she was doing. She needed to stay focused and not get sick.

"What's your problem, girl? You were talking so big about taking us all down then all of a sudden you just collapsed to the ground," a second man said. "Let's just kill her already, Captain."

"Might be the right thing to do," the captain, the first man who spoke, said.

"Naw," a third man said, eyeing her body in lust filled hunger. "Let's just keep her. She's a fine little thing. We could have lots of fun with her."

Eira brought her eyes to the man taking in her body with such a lust filled, hungry gaze. For a split second she wondered when it was the last time this man had a woman. Probably never. He didn't look very appealing. Dirty brown hair was greased back, probably been weeks since he washed it since he smelled this bad. His white shirt was stained with countless food particles. She wondered if he ever got any food into his mouth. But it was obvious he did with his large, chubby belly dangling out of the bottom of his shirt. Her eyes drifted down to the sword he worn on his belt that hung loose around his hips. His thick hand was resting on it. Her eyes went to the man standing next to him. He too had his hand resting on his sword. They all had their hands on their sword, or gun, or whatever weapon they were carrying. They looked ready to fight someone. She then recalled where she was and what she was doing here. They were ready to fight her. She looked up at the sky through the thin treetops. The small island they were on had few trees. She could easily see the moon, the sky, and the sea from where they were. She loved small islands. They were always so nice, so calm, and so peaceful. _That's right. I was just having another Death Memory. I'm on an island. Surrounded by pirates that I snuck up on about twenty minutes ago judging from the position of the moon. I plan on stealing their ship. The one I've been using was almost completely torn apart by that storm I encountered earlier today._

"She has such a thin, sexy body. I really like her eyes. They're so round, almost childlike. And her eyes are the bluest I've ever seen," the third man said. "They're just so blue. I'm not sure how to describe them."

"I think the word you're looking for is electric," the second man said. "Personally, I like her hair. It's so black. It reminds me of a moonless night."

Eira felt her eyebrows twitch at the man's words. She never thought of herself having a sexy body. She just had a body. A body that didn't feel like it belonged to her. Well, in her human form anyway. She felt more like she had her own body in her _other forms_. This current body wasn't hers. Just like the memories she kept having. The memories she has come to call Death Memories because they're not hers. She knows they're not hers. But they hurt just as much as if she went through all of the pain for real, for herself. She had no clue how it was possible for memories that didn't belong to her to hurt her so much, both physically and mentally. She wanted them to stop. But she didn't know how to make them stop. All she knew was she had to find _them_. Whoever _they_ were.

"What do ya say, Captain?" the third man asked. "Can we keep her? I know she's a little on the small side for an actual pirate…"

Eira flinched. Her blood turned to fire, to lava, at the word pirate. She hated them. She didn't know why. All she knew was she hated them. And she hated the word pirate just as much. She wanted to kill _them_. If she could only figure out who _they_ actually were. For now, taking out her frustration of not knowing on this particular group of pirates would suit her just fine.

"…but that's just fine. What I'm gonna have her do, she doesn't need to know how to fight," the third man finished. The rest of the pirates laughed. Slapping their friend on the back, throwing out improper jokes and suggestions of what they wanted to do with her.

Eira cringed having come to the conclusion that if this man ever did have a woman it was by force. It made her sick. She clenched her fists tight before releasing them. As she stretched out her fingers her nails started to grow into claws. She breathed out. A cool wave of ice crystals left her parted lips, swirling out into the already cool night air making it even colder. The corner of her lips twitched when she saw the pirates running their hands over their arms in an attempt to warm up. One of them bend down and tossed a couple more logs onto the fire, stoking it and warming his hands by it. This was a warm island after all. Winter weather didn't exist here. But they haven't yet realized the danger they were in. She loved it. They have now become her prey and it got her excited. They think she's nothing but a little, weak, human girl. A girl they could use for their sick, demented sexual desires. Her eyes glint with light from the moon glow above as their color shift from electric blue to a sharp icy steel. Her tan skin sprouts white fur with dark blue rosettes and spots that also take over her black hair.

One of the pirates stopped laughing when he finally notices her transformation taking place. He yells out, "Hey! She's doing something funny!"

The pirates stop laughing and look at her. But it's too late. She throws up her right hand. An icy cool breeze erupts in the air, causing shivers and goose pimples to run up and down the pirates' arms. It's followed by a pain filled scream. The smell of iron fills the cold night air as blood splatters on the ground.

"What the heck?!" one of the pirates shouts. His eyes lock onto one of his crewmates. The other pirates follow his terrified gaze. Their mouths drop opened in shock. Their comrade, the one who had sexual intentions for Eira, now has an ice shard sticking out of his chest. It was clearly pierced right through his heart. Both ends were sticking out of his body. Blood dripped from the end sticking out of his back. His face twisted in horror as his knees trembled underneath him before they gave out on him. His eyes roll back in his head while he falls. His body hit the ground with a dull thud. He's dead.

"What happened?!"

"Where did that ice come from?!"

"She barely moved!"

"All she did was throw up her hand!"

"I didn't see a weapon on her!"

"It could be under her cloak!"

Eira grinned. The smell of blood was getting her more excited. With her transformation now complete, she ran her tongue over her enlarged fangs.

"W-what is she?!" one of the pirates asked.

"She's a…leopard?" another one asked.

"To be more specific," Eira said before running her tongue over her white fur of her right arm, "I'm a snow leopard."

"A Zoan Devil Fruit user!" a pirate said.

"No! Do not be fooled, men!" the captain said. "A Zoan Devil Fruit user always grows larger when using their human beast forms! She should be at least ten times her size if she was a Zoan type! This is just a trick!"

"The captain's right! Zoan Devil Fruit users are huge when they transform! The girl remains the same size!" a pirate said. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it from its sheath with an angry jerk. "It's just a costume of some sort! Let's kill her! She's killed one of our men! She mustn't go unpunished!"

"Attack, men!" the captain ordered as he unsheathed his own sword.

"Ah! Die you demon!" The pirate who drew his sword first rushed forward. Once close enough he jutted out his sword at her chest, piercing it. He smiled in cocky victory at her shocked expression. "Gotcha!"

Eira then smiled herself. Her body disappeared from his view, making his own smile vanished in shock. "What the…?"

"What happened?!"

"Where'd she go?!"

"How did she do that?!"

"He stabbed her! We all saw it!"

"Pathetic," Eira said. Now standing above them on the branch of a near by tree, she looked down at all of their shocked faces as they noticed where she now is.

"Die, witch!" A pirate raises his gun to her. But before he could pull the trigger, Eira swipes her claws into the air. The long barrel of his gun and his arms suddenly split into five sections then land scattered on the ground. His panicked scream shrieks through the cold night air. "I've been cut up! I'm going to die!"

"But you're not bleeding!" another pirate points out.

"What?!" The man looked down at his arms. His friend is right. Despite his arm being divided into several pieces, there's no blood coming out of his wounds or laying on the ground. "W-what's happening?! What's going on?! How was she able to do that?!"

"It…it can't be!" the captain said. He pulled his eyes away from his men and looked up at the snow leopard in the tree above them. He shivers at the bloodlust he sees in her icy steel colored eyes and the way she runs her tongue over her snow white fangs in delight. "There's only one man who has that kind of power! But he's alive! How can you possibly have the Op Op Devil Fruit's severing abilities?!"

"Wait! That Devil Fruit also has the ability to warp a person from place to place!" a pirate pointed out. "And she did just disappear from our eyes a minute ago!"

"Op Op Devil Fruit?" Eira asks. She tilted her head in curiosity. Something about that struck her as familiar. The thought shot a pain striking through her head. She placed her hand on the tree to keep herself from falling from it. _Not again. Not another Death Memory…_

She groaned as her vision became blurry again. The world around her faded from her eyes and was replaced with another painful memory.

 _Wrapped up in a blanket, she stares out into the snow. She's waiting on someone. She's not sure who. She knows he's a friend. But not a friend of hers. He's a friend of some else's. She looked up when a tall man walks towards her. He opens his mouth and speaks, but she can't hear him. She doesn't know what he's saying. Suddenly the man shoves something into her mouth and forces her to eat it. She does. She looks down at her hands. She feels scared and worried. A thud forces her to look back at the man who is now on the ground. She ran over to him. Kneeling down beside the man, she places her hands on his body, pushing him onto his back. She sees the blood and panics. She tries to help, but she can't. She doesn't know how to. He places his hand on her head and smiles._

Her vision starts to clear again. The Death Memory quickly fades and she sees the pirates still staring up at her.

"Tell us how you can wield that power when the current owner of it is still alive!" a pirate demands.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't eaten a Devil Fruit at all," Eira replied. She pushed off the tree, back on her own feet.

"Then how is it possible you hold that power?!" the captain demanded.

"She must be telling us the truth, Captain! I've heard about the Op Op Devil Fruit works!" a pirate said. "When he uses it a blue film spreads out around the area! She must have some other sort of power!"

"He's right! She must have some other form of Devil Fruit! Some of them do have some similarities!" another pirate said. He jutted the tip of his sword into the air at her as if it would force her to tell him what he wanted to know. "Tell us what power you have, girl! What Devil Fruit is it that you possess?! It's not the Op Op nor a Zoan type!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Eira said with an annoyed sigh. "I already told you I haven't eaten a Devil Fruit. I've always had these powers. And this power...time to wake up, little vines. I need you to trap these pathetic men for me." She grinned. Holding out her hands, the vines in the forest snapped to life, obeying her command. They snap up from their slumber and wrap around the men's ankles, lifting them into the air. Some of the pirates scream as they flew into the air. Some dropped their weapons at the sudden movement. Those who were lucky enough to hang on to their weapons start hacking desperately away at the thick vines that are holding on to them. "Pathetic humans."

"Let us go!"

"We didn't do anything to you!"

Eira laughed. She jumped from the branch she was on and ran along one of the thick vines. Running along it, she held up her palms towards the sky. Ice gathered above her palms, forming an ice sword in each of her hands. "You didn't _do_ anything. But you were going to. Now. Die!"

Screams echoed out into the night as Eira sliced and stabbed away at her victims. Once she was done, she jumped from the vines, sending them back to where they were resting before while she landed effortlessly on the ground with a satisfied smirk. Straightening up her legs, she walked away from the dead bodies, evaporated her ice swords, and walked down the worn path to the rock formation that was jutting out into the sea where they had docked their ship. Eyeing the vessel, she knew it was too big for her to handle on her own. But her small vessel would no longer be suitable for travel on the massive sea that held giant sea kings and unpredictable waves and storms. A sigh passed over her lips. This would have to do until she was able to get her hands on a smaller ship or find a ship she could hide on that was going in the direction she needed to go. She didn't have any other choice.

Eira closed her eyes. Connecting all of her senses to nature, she felt out how the sea was going to be tomorrow. Her snow leopard senses kicked in and told her the weather was going to be calm for several days. She opened her eyes and smiled. "Good. I don't need to deal with another storm like that if I'm going to catch up to _them_."

She walked out on the rock formation with the intention to inspect her prize. She bent her knees, readying herself to jump onto _her new ship_. But a sharp jolt of pain stabbed into her brain. She screamed. Grabbing her head as she collapses to the rock to suffer from another one of her Death Memories.

 _She's all alone. Sitting on a wooden swing that's tied to a tree. Her heart aches. The pain and loneliness is too much. She wants to just disappear. She wants to die. She wants to die so no one else will have the chance to hurt her. But they do. Again they hurt her. She lifts her eyes to them. A small group of adults. Adults who are suppose to protect children. Not these adults. She can feel their anger, their hate filled stares as they demand something from her. They're accusing her of something. She doesn't know what though. She knows she's innocent. They still accuse her. They hate her. They want her to disappear. That's what she wants too. But she has nowhere to go. Everywhere she's been only ends up with her in more pain. A woman slaps her across the face. She falls from the swing. Placing her hand on her now red cheek, she curls into a ball. They still scream at her. They advance on her. Nature erupts around her. Plants spring up way lager than they should be. Fire flares up into infernos. The wind howls causing violent waves to crash onto the island. Nature protects her, but kills everyone else. They're all dead. Only she survives._

Eira gasps. Her eyes pop open like they did before with the other Death Memories. She placed her hand on her furry cheek, feeling the sting of the memory, of the slap. But the memory, like the ones before, isn't hers. She never suffered in that kind of way. Adults never have surrounded her like that. An adult has never slapped her like that. Her hometown has never been burnt to the ground, she only left it a couple months ago. She knew it was still standing. Her parents and sister are not dead because she doesn't have either. And she's never had a man force feed her something. Nor has she known a man to suffer from such gunshot wounds.

"Then why?" Eira asked herself. She tucked her arms close to her chest and curled into a ball. Tears streaked down her white fur, cooled by her ice powers and shimmering in the moonlight. "What are these memories? Who's are they? Why do I keep having them? Why does it hurt so much? Why can't I just be free? Free from all the pain? Free from all the suffering?"

Anger flared up in her chest at the Death Memories and her pain from them. She pushed herself to her feet. Jumping up to the railing of the ship with one easy push off the rocks. The bag and her sketchbook she was carrying underneath her cloak bounced against her back in protest to the sudden movement. Her hand automatically went to the dagger attached to her belt. She's never used it, but she really didn't want to lose it. It was a gift. She landed effortlessly on the railing and screamed out in the calm night air that was still heavily tainted with blood. "This is all _their_ fault! And _they're_ going to _pay_! I _will_ figure out who you are! I _will_ find you! I _will_ hunt _you down_! _And I will kill you!_ Do you hear me?! You stupid tormentors will die for putting me through this suffering! I'm coming to kill you! Be ready to die!"

Eira stopped screaming. Her breathing was now heavy. Her heart was racing. Her cheeks hurt from all the yelling. And she was tired. Exhausted from everything not just from the events of today. Exhausted from her fight, from these memories that she knew weren't hers, from traveling. She just wanted to sleep. And eat. She tilted her head back. Looking up at the top of the mass, she noticed the pirate flag lying limply against the wooden pole. She was going to have to get rid of it. She didn't want to be associated with pirates. She didn't want or need the Navy coming after her. But she figured they would anyway at some point. She figured she would gather attention at some point with all the messes she was leaving behind. For now she was easily keeping herself out of the newspapers. And anyone she's meet, who turned on her in some way, ended up dead. She wasn't sure how she felt about being discovered. She was a master at stealth and hiding. That's why she hadn't been caught yet. But she wondered if maybe she should let herself be seen. It might help her find the two people she was looking for. And this ship did have some distinctive markings on it. The top level of the ship was shaped like a pagoda. She wondered where those pirates were from. But it only lasted for a second. She really didn't care. They were never going to return home, ever again. Still, she wondered again about being seen. Should she do it? Would it help her? Would it be worth the risks?

She pushed those thoughts aside when her tiredness and hunger over took her again. She needed to get something to eat then sleep. And she needed to get rid of the flag. She might as well do that now then find something to eat and go to bed. She bent her knees. Kicking off the railing, she sailed through the air, jumping along the ship parts until she grabbed onto the top of the mass. Ripping the black material from the wooden pole, she dropped back down to the deck. She scoffed when she saw the marking, a simple cross bone and skull. "Apparently those pirates have no imagination. Who were they? The Cross Bone and Skull pirates?"

Wadding up the flag, she tossed it overboard, not caring where it landed or if anyone found it. She then wondered across the deck and opened the door. It was just her luck that she found the captain's quarters right off. She gagged from the bad smell inside and recoiled back to the fresh air of the night while slamming the door shut. "Disgusting. I guess washing bedding wasn't high on their list either. All well. I prefer sleeping outside anyway. Hopefully I won't be on this smelly ship for long."

Moving away from the room, she walked up the stairs to the top level of the ship. Grabbing the only door on this level, she opened it to find just what she was hoping for. It was the galley. Large enough to fit the size of the crew that use to live here with four long rectangular tables, a bar with round stools, a huge fridge, several cabinets, and two stoves for cooking. Smiling, she stepped inside and started going through the cabinets and fridge. Opening them one by one, taking in their contents and gathering what she felt like eating as she went. "At least they kept their supplies stocked up. This fish looked really fresh too. They must have caught it today. Too bad they won't get to eat it."

Next she searched out for utensils to cook her meal. She frowned when she found no way to grill up her fish. "Looks like I get fried fish instead of grilled. Stupid pirates. What? They can't put a grill on their ship? It's fancy enough."

For a second she thought about cooking it on the open fire outside, but that thought quickly left her upon remembering all the blood that was out there. She really didn't want their filthy pirate blood dampening her meal. It was already bad enough having to eat on their ship. She sighed. Pulling the frying pan from a lower cabinet, she headed over for the stove and set out to prepare her meal before heading off to get some sleep. She knew tomorrow was going to be a long day of trying to sail this massive ship. And she still had to figure out which way her quarry was heading next. She knew that they were currently docked for the night. Anchored off a rock island, waiting for daylight to continue on with their own journey to their next destination. She lifted her borrowed kitchen knife in the air. Swinging it downward, she chopped off the fish's head. The knife hit the cutting board with an angry thud that mimicked her feelings perfectly. She was going to intercept that journey. And she was going to kill them. Tomorrow she was back on the prowl.

…

 _Achoo!_ Law sneezed.

"Are you all right, Captain?" Bepo asked, looking up from his scattered maps that were currently laid out on the table in his navigation room. "Are you catching a cold? Or getting sick?"

"No, Bepo, I'm just fine," Law replied. "It was just a sneeze."

"All right," Bepo said, returning his eyes back to the map they were looking at. He pointed to the island on the map. "This is Zara Island. It's a good place to stock up on supplies. And there are a lot of restaurants there too. You might be able to find another cook for the crew." He paused and looked up at his captain with uncertainty. "Uh, are you sure about this? Neo doesn't care much for new people still."

"We'll go to that island then. We can spend a few days there whether we find a cook or not. The crew's been a little restless this past week and Neo is still worked up over me becoming a Warlord. I think we all could use a break from the sub for a while. And she'll be fine. I've already talked to her about all of this. If we do find another cook we'll spend some time with them on the island before bring them onto the sub just like we always do with new members," Law said. He ran his eyes over the map before them. It looked like they would reach this island in just a couple hours from their current location. An amused smirk curled on his lips when he returned his eyes to his navigator. "You're literally the twelfth person who's said that."

"We're just worried about her, that's all," Bepo said. He glanced towards the door of his navigation room. He knew Neo was currently down in the training room, so he wasn't sure why he looked towards the door. Sniffing the air, he looked back at his captain.

"I know you all are, but you're acting like I don't know how to handle my fiancée after all these months," Law said. "I was the one to break her out of her shell after all."

"I'm sorry," Bepo said, bowing his head.

"Don't be. I understand how you all feel about her," Law said. He grabbed his sword, which was propped up against the table, and headed for the door. "It's only natural that you all want to protect her like that. But she has gotten better at dealing with people. She'll be fine."

"And that's all thanks to you, Captain," Bepo said despite knowing how his captain felt about gratitude. He knew he'd get away with it since his captain was always more calm and relaxed since Neo has been with them. But they still didn't push their limits with her or their captain. Only Penguin had orders to confront their captain when he was coddling their favorite girl too much.

Law shifted his sword on his shoulder. He didn't reply to the bear as he continued to exit the navigation room. His hat fell over his eyes as he went. Normally it would be a move out of annoyance since he didn't like being thanked for anything, but this time it was out of slight embarrassment. He loved Neo, a lot. And the entire crew knew it. He wouldn't be marrying her after all if he didn't love her. And with their bond they had through her magic, it was next to impossible for him to hide it from anyone. He didn't want to hide it anyway. He didn't care what people would think of him, the Surgeon of Death, infamous for his cruelty to his enemies, being so in love with this woman. He loved her and that's all that mattered. But they still had to keep their relationship a secret for now. She was already endangered from his enemies just being on his ship, on his crew. Keeping their romantic relationship a secret helped decrease the chances of her getting taken. It was for her protection for them to pretend she was his subordinate while they were off the safety of the sub. He knew she understood his reasons for this, but he still occasionally felt guilty about having to hide their relationship like this.

Lost in his thoughts, he trudged down the hall to the stairs. Wondering down them, he heard a few of his crew chatting as they passed by the staircase. They didn't notice him so he didn't have to greet them. He just continued on down the stairs as they disappeared into a room then walked down the hall until he could hear the sounds of sparring coming from the training room, the room he was aiming for. The sounds coming from the room got louder as he neared it.

"Faster, Neo!" He heard Tero barked out. "Concentrate!"

"Right!" Neo said back to the man.

Law paused. Six feet from the door, he just stared at it, thinking about the two people inside. Neo, his love and life, was currently sparring with Tero, a still fairly new recruit to the crew. He thought about how the man had become Neo's sparing partner. It happened few months ago when Tero called out how weak Neo was and how she should have been able to handle a fight they had gotten in better than she did. And how the rest of the crew, Law included, was far too gentle with her to train her properly. He didn't want to admit Tero was right, but the man was. The rest of the crew was too soft on Neo to properly train her for the New World. That was only because they had been with her longer than Tero. They, in a sense, raised Neo despite her only being four years younger than Law.

A smile formed on Law's lips when he thought about how timid she used to be, how she use to hide behind him, clinging to his hoodie when she was scared. She still had her timid moments a lot of time depending on where they were and how many people were around, but she had grown up so much since having learned about herself as an Elemental royal, about her home island of Luminous, about her adopted brother, and her parents who had died saving her life and her brother's life. She was growing into a very powerful fighter. He had no doubt that she would keep growing. Her desire to protect them, the crew, her family, was great. She strived to get better so she would never lose them in battle, or do everything she could to prevent it. She wasn't naïve enough to know she would always keep them safe. But it still drove her to get better. And Tero was the only man who could push her to do that in the correct way.

Law was concerned about him at first. So much so that he sat in on their sparring sessions several times. Tero didn't care much for the magic of the Elementals, often calling it and the Elementals a pain. But the man had proven himself a loyal crewmember and the best sparring partner for Neo. Eventually, he forced himself to stop being so overprotective of her and left the two to train. He walked the last few feet to the door and leaned against its frame, taking in the scene before him at the two pirates inside exchange a flurry of punches and kicks. He tried not to flinch or run to her aid when Tero flipped her over on her back. He rolled his shoulders, annoyed at the small amount of pain she had and shared with him. If he could protect her from experiencing any pain, he would do it. But he knew it was impossible. And so did she.

"No good," Tero said, shaking his head.

"I know, I know," Neo said between her pants. Her placed her hands over her face, rubbing it tiredly and in frustration. "Let's go again."

"No. There's no point," Tero said. He turned from her and walked over to the side of the room. Placing a towel over his bare shoulders, he grabbed his water cup and took a swig of it. "You're not concentrating enough. You're thinking far too much about the captain now being a Warlord."

"I know," Neo said. She pushed herself into a sitting position. "I'm sorry. I know this was his plan and all. But I'm still worried about it all."

"And that's one of the main reasons we're taking a break from the sub," Law said.

"Captain," Tero said, turning to the man at the door. "Been standing there long?"  
"Just got here," Law said. He pushed off the doorframe and walked into the room. His eyes lingered on Tero's exposed torso. The man had his boiler suit rolled down to his hips, tied there with the sleeves. It annoyed him. He didn't was his love seeing another man half naked, ever. But it made sense. Usually their training sessions were a couple hours at a time. Anyone would get too warm wearing a boiler suit like his crew did. And it was inevitable that she would see the crew half naked at some point in time during their travels. They were a crew mostly men and two women. He knew she only looked at the crewmembers as her brothers. Still he couldn't help but get a tiny bit jealous when she was around them and they had their chests exposed. He had to force his thoughts elsewhere when this happened. He knew he had no reason to be jealous. Neo only had eyes for him. And nothing, and no one, would ever change that. "We're heading to Zara Island tomorrow. We're going to spend a few days off the sub while looking for another cook."

Neo flinched. Her lips curled down into a pout. She really didn't want another stranger on the sub, especially one that was going to take over _her galley_.

"Neo, we've been over this," Law said, reading her thoughts. He squatted down to be more eyelevel with her, shifting his sword so he wouldn't hit her with it. "You know I won't allow anyone on the sub that you're really not comfortable with. And they're not taking over anything. You're still going to be the head chief here. This cook will have to follow your orders."

"I know," Neo said, her frown fading. "I'm still trying to adjust to the idea. I know you're only adding another cook so we can have more time together for when we get married."

"Good, girl. Now drink some water and get yourself rehydrated," Law ordered.

Neo nodded. Obediently, she summoned a water crystal. Cooling down the water to the temperature she liked then drank from it.

"That's cheating," Tero said placing a hand on his hip.

"It's not cheating. It's a natural ability of mine," Neo countered. "Besides, it saves on dishes."

"She's got you there," Law said when Tero didn't reply to her.

"Fine. Whatever. I'm hitting the showers," Tero said. Chugging down the rest of his water, the black haired man left the room, leaving Neo and Law to their own devices. "See you two later."

"Sometimes I really think he enjoys kicking my butt like this," Neo said once she knew Tero was far enough away. She turned her electric blue eyes up at Law and fluttered her eyelashes at him. "If I think he goes too far, can I turn my crystals on him?"

Law chuckled, knowing she never would actually do that. He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. "No, love, you cannot do that. You know he really has your best interest at heart here."

"I know." Neo sighed. "But I still think he enjoys it a little too much. Why do I have to do these extra training sessions after dinner? I eat just to work out and get hungry again and have to eat again."

"Well, you did miss an entire week and a half of training after I became a Warlord," Law said. He sighed when she fidgeted at his words. "You needed time to adjust to it. And that's understandable. But you're going to have to get use to that, Neo. I'm a Warlord now. It's a good thing. You're better protected this way. The Navy won't bother you."

"For a while," Neo said. She lowered her eyes from Law's, thinking about his real reason for becoming a Warlord. She shifted uncomfortably at the plans he has shared with her. His plans on destroying the SMILE factories and taking down the Warlord Doflamingo, the man who also killed Corazon and ticking off one of the Emperors of the Sea. It made her shiver. She hated every single thought of it. The only comfort she found in it was the Emperor they were after wasn't her godfather, Shanks.

"Neo, please, don't think about that. It's several months off. You're only going to worry yourself sick if you keep thinking about it like that," Law said. He repositioned his hold on her hand and brushed his thumb over her fingers before kissing them. His eyes stopped and lingered on the ring he bought for her. The ring that was originally meant just to keep men from thinking she was single became her engagement ring. It was silver with a heart shape just like his tattoo on his chest on it. Blue gems accompanied the tattoo. "How about we get out of here now? You can take a shower while I get you something to eat. You can eat in our room. That way we won't be disturbed by the crew and we can spend some quality time together."

"Really?" Neo brought her eyes back up to his. "You're not too busy?"

"For you? Never. I am done working for the day," Law said. Standing up, he pulled her to her feet and to his chest. "Bepo already knows where we're heading tomorrow. He'll inform the rest of the crew. So I'm all yours for the rest of the night."

"That's great!" Neo said. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him as tightly as she could before pulling him towards the door. "You know, I love it when you get jealous."

"So you felt that?" Law asked with a grin.

"You weren't exactly _hiding_ it from me," Neo said. "You wanted me to know you were jealous."

"Maybe I did." Law shrugged.

"You're so cute," Neo said. She then pulled her long braid over her shoulder and tugged at the blue ribbon she got from Penguin when Law first trained her on using her crystals. While they walked down the hall to their shared bedroom, she wrapped the ribbon around her finger before tucking the thing into her pocket. During this time Law started undoing the braid for her, raking his fingers through her hair, sometimes in a teasing, playful way that made her giggle and blush. They stepped into their room just as he got to her scalp. She moved to gather up her clothes for her shower, but was stopped by Law pulling her back to him. "What?"  
"I didn't say you could go yet," Law said. He ran his fingers through her hair again. Starting at the top and going all the way down to the ends that fell just passed her shoulder blades. He then did it again while placing kisses on her forehead and down to her lips.

"But, Law, I'm all sweaty," Neo protested. "I really need a shower."

"So?" Law mumbled against her lips when he finally reached them. "It's not like I haven't kissed you before like this. You look really good right now. Besides, I thought you just loved my kisses no matter what."

"I do," Neo said just as Law pressed his lips to hers. Like always, she easily followed his lead. Letting him guide her in moving their lips together until he slipped his tongue into her mouth and explored her. Gently he ran his tongue over hers, stroking it repeatedly until she moaned for him. She placed her hands on his stomach, gliding them up his black shirt until she snaked them around his neck. Her stomach growled. She pulled away from him and laughed. Her bell filled laughter filled the room. Her bells that was always present when she giggled or laughed, something only Elemental royals had. "I'm sorry."

"No need to be. I love your bells," Law said, placing pecks across her face. "But I really need to get some food into you. Hurry up with your shower."

"Hurry up, he says," Neo said while Law trailed kisses down to her neck. She tilted her head to the side, giving him more access to her flesh. A soft gasp left her lips when he hit her sensitive spot. She then moaned again as he continued to work his skillful lips on her. "Yet he won't release me."

"You shouldn't taste so good then," Law mumbled against her. He sucked her skin a few more times before another low growl of her stomach forced him to stop. He sighed and pressed his forehead to hers, causing his hat to lift up a bit on his head. "All right, all right. Get into the shower. I'll go get you something to eat. Anything specific you feel like?"

"Other than you? My favorite snack," Neo said. "That would be really nice."

"All right. Cheese, crackers, and lightly sweeten tea it is," Law said, brushing his nose against her. "But you're eating some fruit with it as well. I've got to keep you healthy."

"Yes, _sir_ ," Neo said teasingly with a mock salute.

Law chuckled. He remembered when that's all she did was call him "sir". That was when she first came to live with them. For months she called him that. Now she only did it when she felt like teasing him or felt playful, a few times she's done it out of annoyance, but those times didn't happen often. He pecked her nose. "Into the shower with you."

"All right," Neo said. She tilted her head up a bit, signaling for another kiss. He happily obliged her. They kissed one last time before finally separating from each other. He left the room while she walked over to their shared closet. Since she was done training for the day, and had nothing else to do, she settled on going ahead and getting into her pajamas. So she grabbed a soft grey shirt with a cloud on it and match pajama pants before heading for the bathroom. She placed her clothes and Penguin's ribbon on the counter before disrobing and climbing into the shower.

…

Law walked slowly down the hall. He wanted to give Neo enough time to get her shower without rushing her. He knew how much she loved her showers and baths. So he lingered, nodding to crewmembers as they passed and greeted him with hearty, "Evening, Captain.", or a simple "Hi." Or whatever they felt like saying. He would just give a simple nod to acknowledge them and their greeting before walking on. Soon he found himself inside of the galley. His eyebrows rose on his forehead when he saw that Penguin was also in there. He wasn't sure why he felt the small amount of surprise that he did. Penguin was often in the galley when he knew Neo had been training. Usually the man had a snack ready for her, but this time he didn't. He did, however, have a fresh jug of tea made for them. Sweetened to Neo's preference.

"Hey, Captain," Penguin said when he noticed the extra man in the room. "Fresh tea for Neo. The crew finished the last of the other jug earlier today. I figured she'd want some for a snack after her training session."

Law nodded. "She does."

"And I also figured you'd want to get her snack tonight," Penguin said with a grin. "Bepo popped in here a few minutes ago. He told me where we were heading and that you were done for the day and was planning on spending the rest of the night with Neo. I figured you'd want to get her snack yourself so I didn't bother with it yet."

Law nodded again. His eyebrows lowered down on his forehead. He should have known that's what Penguin was up to. Penguin always paid close attention to situations dealing with him and Neo. The man was more in tuned to how Law and Neo felt and acted around each other than the rest of the crew was. And he, next to Law, was the one Neo spend most of her time with. Penguin easily knew when to step up and when to back off. And this was one time he knew to back off and let his captain do this for Neo. He had become such a great older brother to her. And Law really appreciated the man, more than he let anyone ever know, except for Neo. She knew. "Thanks, Penguin."

"No problem," Penguin replied. "If there's nothing you need me to do, I'm going to head to the rec. room. Shachi is starting a poker game with some other crewmates."

"No, there's nothing I need you to do. You're free to spend the night however you please," Law said walking over to the fridge.

"Great. I probably won't see you and Neo then. So tell her goodnight for me and give her a kiss too," Penguin said while heading for the door. "You have a goodnight too, Captain. See you in the morning."

"You too," Law said before his subordinate disappeared on him. He turned his attention back to getting Neo's snack after that. He pulled out the cheese first. All they had was cheddar. But Neo wouldn't mind. She liked all kinds of cheeses. They were going to have to pick some more up when they land on Zara. He then moved on to the fruit and ultimately settled on apples and oranges. He sliced them up, cutting up enough for him too, and placed them on a plate. He then poured them both some tea, grabbed some crackers, and headed back towards their bedroom.

…

Normally, Neo would take her time with her showers or baths, especially after a training session with Tero. But this time she hurried through it. She'd prefer to spend as much time with Law than soaking in a hot shower or bath. She always had a lot of time for soaking in a bath. Sometimes being alone with Law could be hard to get. Their crew was growing, he was now a Warlord, and they were in the New World preparing for their upcoming missions and a whole lot of other stuff. Getting time alone was proving to be difficult. But he always made time for her. He never let her feel neglected. She loved him all the more for it. He knew what she needed and always gave it to her. He knew she liked security. And he was the only one who could make her feel secure.

A few minutes later, she could sense Law working his way back to their room. She washed off the remaining soap on her body, turned off the water, and exited the shower. Summoning her wind and fire crystals, she used them to dry herself and her hair. Once that was done, she grabbed her clothes and pulled them on then grabbed her hairbrush. After a few strokes through her light blue hair, she put it up and left the room. Just as she climbed on their bed Law returned. He opened then closed their door. With a smile, he said, "Cheese, crackers, apples, oranges, and sweet tea."

"Sounds great," Neo said. She propped their pillows up against the headboard of their bed while Law placed the tray he was carrying down on his nightstand. He then placed his hat on the nightstand and propped his sword up beside it before sitting down on the bed. He kicked off his shoes then got comfortable before reclaiming the tray. He sat it down on his lap while she snuggled up beside him. She easily noticed the amount of food on the tray was for both of them. She smiled. He was going to eat with her. She pecked his lips, a reward for spending time with her and eating with her. The two then settled into to light conversations about the next island and the cook they were looking for. "If he doesn't work out, you'll kick him off, right?"

"What makes you think the cook's going to be a man?" Law asked.

"Oh, it's going to be a man," Neo said. "No other woman is going to cook for my boys. It's just not happening."

Law chuckled. He already knew that. They've talked about that before as well. "Whatever you want. And, yes, if the cook doesn't work out after all, I'll personally give him the boot."

"You're such a good boy," Neo purred before pecking his lips again. "So that's it then. Tomorrow we're on the prowl for a second cook."

Law nodded. "Tomorrow we're on the prowl for a new cook."


	2. Prowl P2

Prowl

Part Two

It was early morning. The sun was just coming over the horizon and it was already so hot it was making Eira sweat. At least for a few seconds it was. With her abilities over ice, she easily cooled herself off by releasing a cool wave of ice crystals around her, freezing the wood she was lying on. And she was currently lying out on the deck of the ship just staring up at the blue sky above her. She had been lying there for a while since the sun had woken her up. Her mind was going over how she could get herself into the newspapers without attracting certain unwanted attention. She wondered what the best way to go about doing this would work. She really couldn't think of a single way. They knew what she looked like in all her forms. Still she had to get noticed by her targets.

"I should probably just use one of my forms," Eira said to herself. "That way I can easily come and go without anyone realizing I have more than one form. I should probably use my snow leopard form. That way I can pretend I do have a Devil Fruit, at least for a while. Of course I could also pretend I have a Devil Fruit while in my human form. But that one Navy soldier still has the powers over ice already. I don't think I'll be able to convince people there are two ice Devil Fruits in the world since there's only one of each. Looks like my best bet will be to use my snow leopard form when I'm on the attack or trying to get myself in the newspapers. If I'm luck _those people_ won't find out very soon. And I never stay in one place for very long. And I'll use my human form to blend in with everyone when it's needed. That should give me some cover when I have to escape."

Eira hummed in thought just a seagull flew overhead. It called out before sweeping away from her view. "That's the best I can do. If _those people_ do manage to find me, I'll just have to disappear for a while until I think I'm far enough away from them. Hopefully I'll be able to find the ones I'm looking for. I could use them as an escape easily. All right then, it might not be the best plan in the world, but surely it has to get me noticed by them. Then maybe they'll come to me or meet me halfway."

Eira flung herself up. She tucked her feet under her legs and ran her eyes over the large, easily noticeable ship. "I really got to get rid of this thing. It sticks out far too much, but first breakfast. I'm starving. Maybe I can come up with an idea after that."

Eira jumped up from the deck when her stomach rumbled. Bending her knees, she pushed off the wooden floor and flung herself over to the door that hid the kitchen in one jump. Once inside of the quiet ship, she rummaged through the cabinets again, pulling out all the things she needed to cook up her some fish. Just as she slapped two fish on the hot pan in front of her, a sharp pain stabbed through her head, another Death Memory. She grabbed her throbbing skull and dropped to the floor. "Stop it. Just go away. I don't want to remember things that aren't my memories."

 _She opened her eyes to another island. She was just walking around aimlessly until she came across two teenagers picking on what looked like a white bear. The closer she walked to them the more she was able to see the bear. It was actually a polar bear. And one that walked on its hide legs instead of all four. She held out her hand, sending a blue bubble around them. Easily she sliced up the two teenagers, without killing them, saving the bear from their torture. All three of them were easily impressed with her, or his, skill. Their mouths moved. She couldn't hear them. She didn't know what they were saying. But one thing was clear she had gained three friends through saving the bear._

Eira panted hard when the Death Memory faded away from her. A deep, painful ache settled into her chest as she grabbed a hold of the counter and pulled herself back up to her feet. She wanted them to be her friends. But they weren't her friends. She didn't even know who they were. She only had one friend. And she would never see him ever again. She cursed under her breath. Forcing the Death Memory away, she turned back to making her breakfast. "Just a little bit longer. Just hold on a little bit longer. This will be over soon. It has to be. It _will_ be."

Once her breakfast was done, she sat down at the table to eat it and study the maps again she had laid out last night.

…

Law woke up with Neo snuggled firmly into his side. An occurrence that often happened in their bed. She was a cuddlier. And he let her be. He knew she needed to be close to him. Typically, he wasn't the type that wanting such contact with people, but she had changed him. He grew to love having her so close to him. And he wasn't going to do anything to change that. He had come to depend on her presence as much as she depended on his.

Slowly, he started to peal himself away from her. His movements earned a protesting whimper from her as she snuggled closer to his warmth. He chuckled in amusement of her actions. It was also something that happened often. Even in her sleep, she didn't want to be away from him. So he leaned down to her. Pressing his forehead to her temple. Softly, he said, "Easy, love. I'm still here. I'm not leaving you."

He smiled when she exhaled and her body relaxed. That was all that was ever needed to get her to let him move away from her. He pressed his lips to her temple before finally standing up from their bed. He walked over to their shared closet and opened the double doors. With a quick look at his clothes he grabbed his favorite spotted jeans and headed back towards the bathroom. He tossing a quick glance at the pictures of her birth parents, adopted brother, and her godfather that she held in her Luminous shelf before finally disappearing into the bathroom to perform his morning ritual of getting ready for the day. Typically, never took him long to do what he needed. But this morning he noticed he needed to shave. Since he still had about fifteen minutes or so before Neo woke up, he reached for his shaving cream and started applying it to his face. With a few smooth strokes over his skin, he was cleanly shaved and ready to leave the bathroom. Just as he stepped back out into their room, he sensed Neo started to wake up from her slumber.

An overwhelming feeling of wanting to be the first thing she saw when she woke up filled him, he walked back around the bed and laid down on it. A minute later her eyelashes fluttered opened and she looked at him with her beautiful electric blue eyes. He smiled and said, "Morning, love. Did you sleep well?"

"I did," Neo murmured sleepily while she reached up and tugged a strand of his black hair. "Until you moved away from me. How dare you do that? I was so comfortable and warm."

Law chuckled. "Sorry, love. But it was time for me to get up."

"You don't _have_ to," Neo said, closing her eyes with a tired sigh. "You could have stayed with me. We don't _have_ to get up."

"Yes, we do," Law said with another low chuckle. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "We have a lot of important work to do today."

"Another cook," Neo murmured. "I know. But can't we sleep for a little bit longer? I'm still sleepy."

"Sorry, but we're going to be there shortly after breakfast," Law said. "I'm sure Penguin is waiting for you in the galley right now."

"I know, I know," Neo said. She rolled onto her back and reopened her eyes. "How long are we going to stay on this island?"  
"As long as it takes," Law said. "Hopefully it won't be longer than a week. But I want to be sure to get the right type of cook so it might be longer than that. I, however, have no intention of staying longer than two weeks. If we don't fine another cook by then, we'll leave for the next island."

Neo's eyebrows perched up on her forehead. She opened her mouth to speak, but Law quickly read her thoughts and cut her off.

"And, no, you cannot just say you don't like any of the cooks we meet," Law said. "You have to give them a chance."

"Aw, Law," Neo whined. She pouched out her bottom lip in an attempt to get him to cave to her desire.

Law knew what she was doing too. He knew he should have prepared himself for this little attempt of her, but he didn't do it quick enough. And he felt himself caving to her. He did his best to stay strong and not fall for her cuteness. Clearing his throat, he said, "Neo, that's not going to work this time. We've talked about this. We're getting another cook."

"Fine," Neo said, giving into him completely. "But you can't blame me for trying."

"I don't blame you at all," Law said. He leaned closer to her and pecked her lips a couple times. "Now be a good girl and get out of bed."

"Do I have to?" Neo slipped her hand over his shoulders, pulling his warm body closer to her own. "I'd much rather stay here with you. I know you want to as well."

"And how do you know that?" Law asked.

"Because you didn't put your shirt on," Neo said, kneading her fingers into his shoulders. "You're really in no hurry to join the others either."

"I might not be, but you know we have to," Law said.

"Ugh, you're just being difficult," Neo said. "We're going to have to separate from each other later. I know you'll warp me into your room, but it still hurts having to pretend we're not involved."

"Maybe I am being difficult," Law said causing Neo to pout at him again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tease you. I know you don't like being separated from me for very long. But you know it's only for a short amount of time. Besides I know you'll grab Penguin and head off to the bookstore as soon as you're comfortable enough on the island to do that."

"They have a bookstore?" Neo asked, her eyes automatically lighting up at the word.

"Yes, they have a bookstore," Law said. He was glad that got her in a better mood. The chance to go to a bookstore often had that affect on her. "And you can get yourself a maximum of six books."

"Really?!" Neo shot up in bed, pushing him up along with her. "I can get six books?!"

"Yes." Law nodded. He sat on his legs and looked at her with a smile. "You know I'll never lie to you."

"Law!" Neo squealed before throwing herself into his arms. "Thank you! You're the best!"

Law wrapped one arm around her while placing his other hand behind him on the bed so they didn't fall off. A satisfied chuckled left his lips just before she claimed his lips with hers. He hummed in shock at the minor touch of aggression she was displaying her as she slipped her tongue passed his lips and dancing it all around his dark cavern without asking for it like she normally did. Still he preferred her happy like this rather than pout like before and let her kiss him until the need for air forced her to pull back. Their panting breaths mixed together while tenderly bushed his nose against hers in a loving gesture. "Get dressed now."

"Okay!" Neo chirped. She pecked his lips once more before crawling off their bed. She quickly grabbed her clothes from their closet before disappearing into the bathroom after bidding her pictures a good morning.

Law shook his head at her antics before finally pulling himself from their bed. He walked back over to the closet to finished getting dressed himself. He pulled on a yellow shirt with his Jolly Roger on it and tossed the black jacket he had been wearing recently over his shoulder. He then walked back over to their bed, fixing his collar as he went, and picked up his hat from the nightstand before dropping it back down. He didn't need it at the moment so he decided to leave it here until they left the sub. They were about to have breakfast in a short while. He never wore his hat while eating.

A few minutes later, Neo stepped back out of the bathroom dressed in a light blue shirt and jeans. She gave Law a distressed, pleading look before asking, "I'm not going to have to wear my shoes here, am I?"

Law thought about her question for a few seconds. Since he was a Warlord now not many attempted to challenge him and his crew. Only those who had large egos dare challenge him and his crew, and they always lost. So he found no reason for her to wear her shoes at all. "I don't think it's necessary. We're not planning on getting into any fights. If it does happen, stick to your sniper position and protect your feet with your crystals."

"Will do, _Captain_!" Neo saluted with sarcasm.

"You better drop the sass," Law said before he quickly warped himself over to Neo.

"Law!" Neo squeaked in surprised at his sudden movements when he appeared in front of her to pick her up and toss her over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. "What are you doing?! Put me down!"

"Not going to happen." Law casually headed for the door. "This is your punishment for sassing me."

"I'm sorry," Neo offered. Grabbing a hold of his belt, she was able to get enough leverage to push herself up to look at him, well the back of his head. "I didn't mean to do it?"

"Sure you didn't mean it," Law said. He tossed her a playful smirk over his shoulder.

"Oh! You!" Neo said unable to find an actual argument here. She knew she had lost the second she called him captain in her sarcastic tone. She knew she had no choice but to remain his prisoner until he thought he had inflicted enough _punishment_ on her. And while he carried her through the sub they earn several chuckles and suggestive wiggles of eyebrows from the crew. Heat rushed to her face when Conner bent over to look at her. "Oh, hush! It's not like you all haven't ever gotten punished from Law!"

"True," Conner, one of the engineers of the crew, said. "But none of us have ever been thrown over the captain's shoulder or any other part of his body before."

Neo felt her face grow hotter from his words. She was unable to find any words of her own to fire back at him, even if she wanted to. What he said was true. She was the only one who Law threw over his shoulder or carried around at all. But that was natural for them since they were engaged. People, even the crew, would find it a bit curious if Law threw one of his male crewmates over his shoulder and carried them around, even the crew would find that strange.

"She's so cute when she blushes," Archer, one of the sub's main pilots, said. "Perhaps she's having some naught thoughts running through her mind at this point."

"I think you might be correct," Conner said. He moved in closer to Neo's blushing face with a bright smile of his own. "Are you having inappropriate thoughts? If you weren't holding onto the captain's belt you'd be hanging down very close to his little buttocks. Just imagine if you were hanging the opposite way."

Neo could feel her face grow even warmer at his words. She didn't have any such thing going through her mind at the moment but for the desire to tell them to shut up. And she certainly didn't have any sexual thoughts running through her head when Law threw her over his shoulder. Of course she often thought about Law's body, but that was nature. And so were their talks about sex and what was going to come when they got married. It was no secret they talked about that kind of stuff. Still, in this moment of embarrassment, she couldn't find her voice and was left hanging there.

"All right," Law said, deciding to give her a break of all the teasing. "That's enough of that. Go on about your business."

"Aye, Captain," the men said before scurrying off.

Law watched them go before continuing on their own way to the galley. He listened to her silence as he continued down the hall. He felt her embarrassment slowly ebbing with each step.

"You did that on purpose," Neo then said.

"I did." Law stopped walking. Carefully he placed her back down on her feet. "I'm sorry. Was that to mean?"

Neo chewed on her bottom lip in thought for a few seconds before sighing. "No, it wasn't. I know you only did it to get me more use to their teasing. I know they're going to be more playful like that when we start having a sexual relationship. So it's fine."

"And you know you have permission to turn your crystals on them if they go too far in their teasing again," Law said.

"I know." Neo nodded. "I also know that they won't do it. They love me too much and fear you too much to ever do that again."

Law smiled. His crew did have high admiration for him. And they all knew it was an extreme taboo to make Neo cry. None of them had the intention of every doing that, but it kept them on their toes. It was good for them.

Neo pinched a hold of his shirt and stepped closer to him. "You coming in with me?"

"No, I've got captain stuff to do," Law said.

"Oh." Neo pouted. "All right."

"I'll see you in a little while," Law said. He bent down just as she tilted her lips up to him. He let their lips linger together for a solid minute before finally pulling back from her. The two then went their separate ways. He headed back down the hall as she walked into the galley.

Neo breathed in the flour of the pancakes at were already being made. She always loved the smell of her galley no matter what they were cooking.

"Good morning, Neo," Penguin said from the stove. "Did you sleep well?"  
"Yes," Neo said. She pulled open a drawer, grabbed herself an apron, tied it on, and then stepped over to the sink to wash her hands. "How about you?"

"Could have been a little better," Penguin said.

"Oh, Shachi snoring again?" Neo asked.

"Yes." Penguin nodded. "I'm glad we're taking a break from the sub. I think I could use some time away from him."

"I suppose," Neo said.

"Still not completely comfortable with the idea of a new cook, are you?" Penguin said, easily reading his little sister.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "But Law said I can get me six books."

"That must make it easier," Penguin said.

"Will you take me to the bookstore?" Neo asked.

"Sure thing," Penguin said. "I'll be ready to go whenever you are."

"Great," Neo said. She walked over to the fridge and started pulling out several cartons of eggs. "I think for the first day I'd like to settle in a bit. Just look around and see what this island offers. I'll decide after that when I want to go to the bookstore. It might be today."

"Just say when and I'll be there," Penguin said.

"Is there anything you'd like to do on this island?" Neo asked. She sat the eggs down on the counter before pulling the large frying pan out from underneath the cabinet. She placed it on the stove, lit it, and stirred in a small amount of butter to grease up the pan.

"Nothing special," Penguin said before getting a dreamy look on his face. "Unless there are some beautiful women on the island. Then I'll want t-" He paused when he sensed a dark aura coming from Neo. He chuckled nervously at her glare. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Neo sighed. She then smiled. "I'm still just slight annoyed at what we're doing here. As long as you go with me to the bookstore I won't think much of you going off to seek female companionship. Just as long as you don't run off on me everyday were on this island."

"I would never do that." Penguin leaned closer to her and pecked her cheek.

"I know." Neo started cracking open the eggs. They dropped into the pan and sizzled at the heat. She then summoned her wings and fluttered them while they continued cooking breakfast. "I wonder if there will be a space for me to work my wings."

"Are they bothering you?" Penguin asked.

"No, it's just been a few weeks since I've given them a good work out," Neo said. "I suppose once you're off with another woman," She shot him a playful glare, "I could have Bepo to wander around with me to see if this island offers something like that. Law won't be happy if I let my wings get stiff to the point they hurt."

"That's so true," Penguin said. "He might even go with you."

"Maybe," Neo said. "I would like that."

"But?"

"But this might also be a good time to spend some time apart," Neo said. "I don't want to, but I know it's important that we do spend some time away from each other."

"So true," Penguin said with a firm nod. "It can be a relationship saver."

"Good morning!" Shachi then sang as he danced into the galley. "I had such a wonderful rest last night!"

"Oh, shut up," Penguin grumbled under his breath. "It can also keep you from killing your best friend."

Neo couldn't help but laugh. Her bells flowed out over the sizzling of the eggs, mixing in a bizarre harmony with each other.

"What's so funny?" Shachi asked.

"Nothing," Penguin and Neo said at the same time.

"Is breakfast almost ready?" Shachi asked, shrugging his two friends off.

"We just got started," Penguin said. He flipped another pancake on top of the large stack he already had. "The muffins aren't even done yet."

"Doesn't look like the muffins are even in the oven," Shachi noted. He looked at the muffin pans that were still lying out on the counter.

"You know Neo uses her crystals on them," Penguin snapped.

"Sorry," Shachi said. "Geez. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Only because you were snoring again!" Penguin said.

"I was not!" Shachi said. "I don't snore!"

"You do too!" Penguin said.

"I do not!" Shachi said again. "I know I don't!"

"How would you know that if you are asleep?!" Penguin demanded.

"I just do!" Shachi replied.

"All right," Neo said before they could continue. "That's enough. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes. Why don't you go alert the crew to that?"

"Aye, Neo," Shachi said. He shot Penguin an annoyed frown before lumbering back out of the galley.

"Boy, you two really do need a break from each other," Neo stated once their friend was gone.

"It doesn't help that I didn't get much sleep last night," Penguin said.

"Well, if you can't get a restful night sleep within the next few days, I want you to get something from Law," Neo said in a concerned tone. "I don't want you cranky and drowsy if we have to face an opponent."

"Yes, ma'am." Penguin kissed her cheek again. "Don't worry. I know the routine. I'll bunk with someone else while we're on the island. If I don't get any sleep when we return to the sub I'll ask the captain for a sedative."

"You're such a good boy," Neo cooed before returning a kiss to his cheek. "Now lets get breakfast finished."

"You got it." Penguin nodded.

Neo summoned her wind and fire crystals. Lifting the already made muffin mix into the air, she lit her fire crystals under the tins they were in, easily cooking them within seconds. Guiding them with her winds, she dumped them out into the bowls that were already waiting on the tables. She then pulled out bowls of fruit and added them to the tables while still stirring the eggs in her pan.

"The orange juice is already made and in the fridge," Penguin said. "I did that last night so we wouldn't have to do it this morning."

"Thank you, Penguin," Neo said. Lifting up the hot pan with her winds, she scrapped the eggs out into several waiting silver pans then flew them over to the tables before turning her eyes to the bacon and sausage links that were still in the fridge. She pulled them out, unwrapped them, and easily had them both sizzling hot and cooked to perfection in a minute with her fire crystals. She flew them to the tables as well, keeping her fire crystals over the food to keep them nice and hot until the crew came in to devour them. And for the last part in preparing breakfast, she flew all of their plates and other utensils onto the tables just as Penguin pulled out the two large pitchers of orange juice.

"Oh, that reminds me," Penguin said as he placed the pitched down on two different tables. "Once we get back onto the sub we're going to need some more fruits and vegetables in storage. We're about out."

"You got it," Neo said just before the majority of the crew started wondering into the galley. Their voices filled the room while they claimed their spots at the tables. She remained standing near the table she and Law always sat at. Soon he appeared in the room and joined her. They all sat down to their hot breakfast, thanking Neo and Penguin for the meal before digging into all the yummy smelling food before them.

…

After Eira finished her own breakfast she went back out on the deck of her _borrowed_ ship. As the wind blew her hair over her shoulders, her ears perked up as did the hairs on her arms. Closing her eyes she began to sniff the salty sea air. Upon the wind was the unmistakable smell of men and gunpowder. Bending down at the knees, she shot herself up into the air, landed on the mast before jumping into the Crow's Nest. She grabbed the binoculars that were up there and scanned her gaze over the horizon until the glass landed on a Navy ship coming her way.

"Well, looks like I get to put my plan into motion a lot sooner than I thought I would." Eira laid down the binoculars before jumping back down to the deck of the ship. "There's at least a thousand soldiers on that ship. Should be easy enough to take them out before they even know I'm here."

Eira's lips curled into a smile just as her skin began to develop her white fur again. She ran her tongue over her larger teeth before disappearing into the world around her. Tucked safely next to the mast she waited patiently while the Navy ship glided up beside her own ship.

"All right men," the commander of the Navy ship said once the gangplank was connecting the two ships. "Spread out and search this ship. If anyone's here, arrest them on sight."

"Aye aye, Captain!" the soldiers shouted before scurrying across the gangplank.

Eira watched them closely. She tensed up a bit when a couple soldiers walked close to her, but luckily they quickly walked away from her and into the ship. She followed them. Silently moving along the deck, she followed them inside of the ship. The soldiers entered into the navigation room.

"This is weird," one of the soldiers said. "There doesn't appear to be anyone here."

"But how?" the other soldier asked. "This ship clearly wasn't abandoned. It's in too good of a shape for that to have happen. And the sails are down."

"Then what do you suggest?" the first one asked. "Ghosts?"

"Don't be ridiculous," the second one said. "There's no such things as ghost. It's obvious that someone is on this ship. We just haven't found them yet."

"Let's keep looking," the first one said.

Eira made herself visible again just as the two soldiers turned back to the door. She smiled when they screamed and shot out her ice through her fingertips. The coolness swept through the room. It froze the men in place and covered their mouths so they wouldn't be able to call out for help or fire their guns. She chuckled at the scared looks in their eyes. Walking up to one of them, she teasingly cupped his chin and purred. "Now, now, don't give me that look. I have no intention of killing you all here and now. That would be a waste. I need you all alive. And don't worry about the ice. It's not cold or strong enough to do any permanent damage. You'll just most likely get sick for a while. Nothing strong men like you can't handle."

She pecked the marine's nose before walking over to the door. She took the doorknob in her hand, tossed them one more predatory look before closing the door. She pressed her back against the wood and let her ice seep under the crack. It locked the door into place so no one else would be able to get in there and see what she had done, at least for a few minutes.

"I think I heard something over here," a marine said.

Eira disappeared into her surroundings again. Silently she went into another room to wait for her next prey to come in here so she could trap them as well.

"This door seems to be locked," another marine said. "It feels cold too."

"Never mind that one for now," a marine said. "We have other rooms to check. The captain is waiting for us to clear the ship."

"Right." The marine's voice was closer. They were right outside the room Eira was in. It delighted her. She loved this type of hunting. It was a good mixture of fun and serious practice without having to kill anyone. She was still young after all. She was still sharpening her skills as a hunter. A hunter who was working up to take down their really prey. Once she found who that was that is. For now she was very content in hunting her current marine prey. They were proving to be a lot more fun than she though they would be.

The door creaked open. The marines, four of them this time, moved into the room. Slowly they checked out every corner, opened every drawer of the cabinets that were inside, and looking behind the tattered curtain that was hanging over a porthole. "Doesn't look like anyone here. Let's move on."

Eira pushed a cool breeze through the air.

"Did it get cold in here all of a sudden?" a marine asked.

"Yeah, it did," another one said.

"I wonder why-" Before the fourth on could finish, Eira had them frozen in place like the last two. Again she allowed herself to be seen by them before slipping out of the door and locking the door shut with her ice.

And that's how she managed to trap all of the soldiers that had come aboard the ship. She lured some of them into rooms where she froze them in place while others she snuck up on then froze. Eventually all of the marines that had come aboard this ship was frozen in place, slowly melting as she moved on to the Navy ship itself. Silently she jumped upon the gangplank and walked across it while remaining blended in with her surroundings. She paused when she reached the other end.

"What's taking them so long?" the captain asked himself. He tapped his finger on his arm impatiently. After a few more seconds of not seeing any of his men, he turned to a couple more that were with him on the deck. "You all go see what's going on over there."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers saluted.

Eira then revealed herself. Standing on the end of the gangplank that was over the Navy ship. "Sorry, but the men you sent over to this pirate ship are a bit frozen up at the moment. They won't be joining you anytime soon."

"What the heck?" the captain asked. "Where did you come from?"

"That's a stupid question," Eira said despite not really knowing where she came from. She knew what he was actually talking about. "I came from this ship. It's not mine though. I'm not a pirate."

"You can't be serious," the captain said. "You're not a pirate but you're on a pirate ship?"

"That's correct," Eira said. "The pirates this ship belongs to are no longer using it."

"And why is that?" the captain asked.

"Because the dead have no use for a ship," Eira said.

"Fire!" the captain ordered.

Eira leaped into the air before the bullets rang out into the air. "Big mistake."

The soldiers gasped in shock as she easily flew over their heads.

"Freeze!" Eira called out. Extending out her hands, a cool rush of ice crystals exited her palms and froze the men in place at her command.

"What did you just do?!" the captain demanded, struggling fruitlessly at the ice around him.

"No way you're that dumb," Eira said after she landed on the deck of the ship. "I just froze you of course."

"But that's not possible! Aokiji is the only one who has a Devil Fruit that controls ice!" the captain said. "And no Zoan type has the ability to use powers like that!"

"Well, maybe I ate an incredibly rare Devil Fruit. That's a possibility," Eira said. "I'm certainly not a Paramecia or a Logia."

"Then what are you?" the captain asked.

"I'll let you figure that out on your own." Eira walked over to him. "I have more important things to do right now. So you all have to leave your ship. I'm going to take it for a little spin."

"You're out of your mind," the captain said.

Eira chuckled when he attempted to glare at her with his dark green eyes. "I am?"

"You are," the captain said. "This ship is still full of Navy soldiers."

"Full off, yes," Eira said. "Able to come help you, no."

"What did you do?!" the captain demanded.

"I froze them inside of the ship," Eira said. She glanced over at the door that was now covered with a thick sheet of ice. "They can't come out here even if they wanted to."

"You sneaky little b-"

"Hush now," Eira said, forming ice over his lips so he couldn't speak again. "Now isn't the time for you to be speaking. I'm not going to hurt you all. Much. You're going to most likely get sick or a cold from this little freeze, but you won't die. I have no intention of killing you all. I'm just in need of your ship. So I'll be taking it from here."

The captain murmured against the ice around his mouth.

"Don't worry about it," Eira said, pretending she knew what he was trying to say. "I'm not going to do any kind of damage to the ship or pretend like I'm a marine soldier to attack some unexpected village. I'm not even going to be using this ship for very long. I just need to borrow it for a while. Be sure to include that in your report when your fellow marines come to save you."

Eira increased the flow of her ice. She built the ice up around the marines frozen bodies and lifted them over to the pirate ship. Once they were secured on the deck she kicked the gangplank off the railing. It fell into the sea below with a large splash. She waved sweetly to them as the wind picked up around the sails and guided her new ship away from the pirate ship. "See you later. And don't worry about any storms. There should be any coming until after you get rescued."

Eira walked to the helm of the ship. Grabbing a hold of it she started to steer them in the direction of a nearby island. "All right, now to ditch this ship and get away from this area. There's an island nearby so I should be able to stowaway on a ship easily there. It's a good thing that pirate ship had a lot of maps and a decent navigator. Let's go, Navy ship! I've got more prey to hunt down!"

…

After breakfast and once Law got done doing his typical rounds to make sure his crew wasn't getting into trouble and the sub was heading in the correct direction and after he had packed a bag for him and Neo-to which he ordered a crewmember to take the bags to the main entrance for them-he made his way to the rec. room where Neo currently was. When he got there he leaned against the doorframe and just watched her read from her favorite spot curled up in the corner of the couch. For a few minutes he just watched her. He watched her eyes glided over the pages before her, her lips occasionally mumbling the words she was reading or curling into a smile from whatever funny moment just happened in her book. Reading was one of the happiest times he could ever see her. She loved to read. But she loved him more. And he knew she would want some quality time before they had to shift back into their captain and subordinate modes while on Zara Island. He hated it just as much as she did. However both understood that it was for her protection. She was already a target just by being on his sub. That would only increase if she were to be known for being involved in a romantic relationship with him. It wouldn't be for much longer though. Their relationship would soon be out for the world to see. Until now, they both just enjoyed each other's company when they could get it. And he too wanted quality time with her. So he closed the door and walked over to her. Placing a finger on the book, he pushed it down until she looked up at him.

"How about you put that book down and pay attention to me instead?" Law asked.

"Oh," Neo cooed. She closed the book and laid it beside her on the couch. "And what did you have in mind?"

"Like you can't read my mind," Law said. He slipped one arm around her back and the other under her legs before lifting her off the couch. He then sat down with her on his lap.

"I don't need to read your mind to know what you're thinking here." Neo wrapped her arms around his neck. "How much time do we have?"

"Thirty minutes before landfall." Law chuckled. He leaned forward and captured her lips with him. Their kisses started off slow and playful. Each taking turns running their tongues over the other's dark, wet cavern before things heated up between them.

Neo ran her fingers through his wild black mane as he lifted her off the couch and shifted them both into a horizontal position. She arched her body into his when he trailed kisses down her neck and sucked playfully hard on her soft spot. The hot sucks on her tender neck prompted her to wrap her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her body. "E-easy now…we're…ah..ah ha…we don't need to get too heated here. We can't cross…mmm…that line yet."

"I know," Law murmured against her skin. "I can't wait until we can though."

"Me too," Neo said. She tugged on a strain of his hair, signaling for a kiss.

Law gladly obeyed her. He knew if he continued to sucking on her neck and pulling all those moans and pleasurable sounds from her he wouldn't be able to stop. He would remove all of her clothes and take her right there on the rec. room couch. He still wanted to. His body was hot and craving more than just kissing from her. He wanted to take her long and hard, slow and steady. He mentally kicked himself. If he didn't stop having such thoughts he was going to end up acting on them. And that would only hurt her. It would take over half of her magic away from her. He couldn't do that to her. He wouldn't do that to her.

"Hey! I see land!" Bepo's muffled voice then said.

Law sighed, in both relief and frustration while Neo sighed in annoyance at finally reaching their destination.

A knock came on the closed rec. room door. It was followed by Bepo's voice saying, "Captain, permission to enter?"

"Granted," Law said. He pulled himself off Neo just before the door opened up to reveal a nervously twitching Bepo.

"Sorry to interrupted. We're about to dock, Captain," Bepo said.

"All right," Law said. "Prepare to dock and land."

"Aye, Captain," Bepo said. "Again, sorry for interrupting."

"Don't worry about it, Bepo," Neo said with a wave just before the bear closed the door. "Poor Bepo. Maybe we shouldn't kiss in here like that anymore?"

"He'll be fine. He always is," Law said. "Besides, if the crew wasn't comfortable with us kissing in here they never would close the door for us when we forget to."

"I suppose so," Neo said.

"They've done a lot worse in hotels with thin walls and doors," Law said.

"I know. You don't have to remind me," Neo said, her eyebrows slightly narrowing. "I'm just never going to get use to sharing _my brothers_ with other women."

"What about Topaz?" Law asked.

"She doesn't sleep around like the guys do," Neo said. "I love her just as much as them, but I've know fifteen members longer than her and the rest of the crew. I'm more attached to them because of that."

"I know." Law nodded. He lifted up his hand forming his Room out around them and the sub. Within seconds his hat and sword appeared in the rec. room with them. He grabbed them both, placing his hat on his head before noticing the odd look Neo was giving him. "What?"

"That's cheating," Neo said.

"Like you don't cheat with your crystals," Law said.

"My crystals are a natural born part of me," Neo said. "You have to eat your Devil Fruit to get those powers."

"Okay, you've got me there," Law said. "But the Devil Fruits are still a part of nature. So they're natural too."

"I suppose you're correct," Neo said.

"Let's go," Law beckoned while he headed for the door.

"Hey!" Neo protested. When Law looked back at her, she ran up to him, leaped into his arms, and wrapped her legs around his waist. "We're not on the island yet."

Law chuckled just before Neo claimed his lips once again as hers. Knowing the sub as well as he did, Law easily navigated his way through the halls, up the stairs, and to the main entrance of the sub. They were once again greeted with snickers and sexual remarks from the crew, but neither really paid much attention to it.

"Are you two going to release each other now or are you going to continue hanging all over one another and reveal your relationship to the world?" Topaz asked.

"Just getting in some extra kisses before having to become his _subordinate_ again," Neo said with clear distant for the word subordinate in her tone. Reluctantly, she allowed her body to lower from Law's hold. It was then she shifted her lover persona into that of a subordinate and slung her bag over her shoulder.

' _Don't worry, love.'_ Law thought to her. _'We'll pick this up later tonight.'_

' _We had better.'_ Neo thought back to him.

"All right, lets get our rooms for the week then you all are free to do as you wish," Law said.

The crew cheered happily before they started disembarking from the sub.

Neo slowly ran her eyes over the island, Zara Island. It was fairly big but looked peaceful enough. Several ships, pirate ships included, were docked in this bustling island's dock. She wondered if it was at all possible for them to find another crewmate, another cook here. She blinked and found herself now on the docks of Zara Island via Law's warping them. There was no turning back now. She forced her feet to follow Law when he and the rest of their crew moved forward towards the town. She stayed as close to Law as she possible could with Penguin and Topaz on her left side. They moved closer to her when they walked off the docks. A silent signal that they were right there and weren't going to let anyone touch her, even by accident. This gave her more freedom to look around the town. It seemed just like any other island they stopped at. It was filled with the hustle and bustle of islanders and visitors. Before she knew it they had entered into the hotel that Law had picked out for them. The inside was quiet and nice with minimal decorations throughout the lobby, mostly a few plants and paintings. Once she had looked at everything and everyone her eyes drifted to the woman behind the counter. Her chest tightened at the flirty look the woman was giving Law.

"Here you go, sir," the woman said. She reached for the keys then slowly, and purposefully brushed her hand over her plentiful cleavage before holding out the keys to Law. "Please, let me know if there's anything I can do for you."

"Thanks, but that won't be necessary," Law said. "I'm not looking for companionship with a stranger."

Neo bit her bottom lip in an attempt to not laugh or snicker at the now embarrassed woman behind the counter. Penguin wasn't so lucky. His laughter roared out into the room.

"Penguin, stop it," Bepo said.

"I can't!" Penguin said. "That was too hilarious!"

"I'm sorry," the woman said, obviously trying to cover up her embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't. You always brush your hand over you chest when passing keys to customers," Penguin said. His jab made Neo feel better.

"Enjoy your stay," the woman said, unable to think of anything else.

"That wasn't very nice," Bepo said once they had walked far enough away from the woman.

"She deserved it," Penguin said. "Just because we're human and want companionship doesn't mean people have the right to act that way. She doesn't even know if the captain's involved or not."

"It's fine, Penguin," Neo said. "I did get a little jealous, but I know Law belongs to me."

"Yes, I do," Law said before passing out the keys to his subordinates. After that they all made their way up the stairs and found their rooms on the third floor.

Neo frowned at Law when he walked to another room just down from hers and Topaz's. The frown faded when he winked at her before disappearing into the room. She sighed and entered into the room she was pretending to share with Topaz. Her Elemental fire friend said, "Don't worry. The captain will warp you and your bag into his room any second."

And just then, Law's Room filled their room. Neo smiled at Topaz before disappearing in the blink of an eye. Topaz was left chuckling to herself for a few moments before the Room refilled the room followed by Neo. "Better?"  
"Yes." Neo smiled after having put her bag in the same room with Law. "Law's going to go roaming around the island for a while."

"Good. Now let's get Penguin and go check this island out," Topaz said. She linked her arm with Neo's and the two women left the room together. Stepping to the room across from theirs, the fire Elemental knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Penguin. "You ready to go?"

"I sure am," Penguin said. He looked back into the room. "Hey, Archer, I'm heading out now. You coming?"

"No, you go ahead," Archer said. "I'm going to go get a drink."

"See you later then," Penguin said.

"Later," Archer replied just before Penguin shut the door.

"Let's go." Neo slipped her free arm into Penguin's and the trio headed for the stairs. "I see you're sharing a room with Archer."

"You and Shachi fighting?" Topaz asked.

"A little bit," Penguin said. "He's been snoring a lot lately and disturbing my sleep. So we decided to bunk with others while were here."

"That's a good thing," Topaz said. "We all need some time apart occasionally."

Reaching the end of the stairs, Neo couldn't stop herself from looking over at the woman behind the counter. When the woman saw them, her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head. "Do you think she suspects that the captain and I are involved?"

"I doubt it," Penguin said. "She just embarrassed herself."

Neo nodded. The three exited the door and stepped out in the warm sun. The streets were filled with chatters of the people as they talked and sold their homemade items. Uncomfortable with all the people around her, she kept her arms locked in with Topaz and Penguin's while she glanced over the booths. As they were walking along the crowds Neo felt a sudden rush of sadness and fear rushing through her as well as a sharp yippee. She gasped.

"What is it, Neo?" Penguin asked.

"A puppy," Neo said. Summoning two wind crystals she lifted them into the air and followed her feelings until they found a man kicking a black puppy across his backyard. Anger flared up inside of her when the man pulled back his leg in an attempt to kick the puppy again. Shooting down her winds, she grabbed the man's extended leg and flipped him onto his face before landing.

The man cussed and pushed himself upon his hands. "What the heck was that for?"

"I will not permit you to hurt that poor puppy any longer," Neo said, her royal tone booming out around them.

"And who are you? The Puppy Police?" the man hissed. He shot up and out towards Neo with his hand extended, reaching for her neck. " _I_ can do what _I_ want with _my_ mutt!"

Penguin grabbed the man's wrist and flipped him over onto his back before the man could come close to touching Neo. "Don't even think about it."

"We get a bit touchy when someone tries to hurt our little sister," Topaz said, planting her foot onto the man's chest causing him to grunt.

"Release me!" the man hissed. "Who do you think you are?!"

"We're pirates," Penguin said. "We only take orders from our captain, Trafalgar Law."

The man froze. "The…the Warlord?"

"That's correct," Topaz said. "And he gets very annoyed at people who try and hurt his crew. If you try it again, we'll tell him where you live."

The man swallowed, color draining from his face. "I…I-I sorry. It won't happen again."

"Be sure that it doesn't," Neo said. "Release him."

They did. The man got up and ran into his house, banging and locking the door behind him.

Neo turned her eyes to the puppy. It was cowering down on the ground, blood damping its right front leg. She walked over and knelt down, hating the iron now in her nose. Holding her hand out so the puppy could sniff her, she said, "Hey, there. Easy now. You're not going to get hurt anymore."

The puppy trembled. Sniffing her outstretched hand before licking it.

"Let's get you some help." Neo picked up the puppy as gently as she could then pulled them all back into the air.

"Another furry patient for the captain," Penguin said. "He's going to love that."

"He'll help," Neo said. "You know he will."

"Of course he will," Topaz said. "He can't say no to you in a situation like this."

Neo nodded. Sensing Law outside of the town in the forest, she flew them right to him. "Law."

"Neo, what's going on?" Law asked, his eyes going to the black mass in her arms as they landed in front of him.

"Help him," Neo begged.

Law sighed but nodded. Past experience taught him he wasn't going to get out of this. "All right. Let's go back to the sub."

"Thank you, Law," Neo said. Once again she pulled them into the air while Penguin and Topaz filled their captain in on what happened.

When they got back to the sub, Law warped them into the medical bay where he began his examination on the puppy. "Luckily, no bones have been broken. Only the skin had been broken."

"That's so good," Neo said with an exhale.

"I'll clean the wound and bandage it," Law said. "He'll be fine, but would benefit from your solar crystal. However, I do not want you using it around other people."

"I know." Neo nodded. She summoned her solar crystal, its yellow glow flowed over the puppy. "I'll heal him right now and when we're in the hotel."

Law looked at her. He didn't want the puppy in the hotel. "Neo, you can't keep him."

"I can't let him go," Neo said. "Someone has to take care of him." Her eyes watered as her lip pooched out. "He's hurt."

Law sighed. "All right. You can take care of him until he's healed. But you can't keep him. You know that. You're going to have to find him a home."

"I know." Neo nodded. "I just want to make sure he's all right."

"I know you do," Law said.

"So how's the hunt going?" Penguin asked, changing the subject.

"Fine," Law said. "I've already have a restaurant picked out for dinner."

Neo wrinkled her nose.

"Spread it through the crew that we're meeting at Barley's at six," Law said.

"That was a quick find," Topaz said.

"I heard some people talking about it before leaving the hotel," Law said, his eyes locked on Neo. "Neo? Are you going to willingly come or do I have to drag you there?"  
"No, I'll come willingly," Neo said.

"Good," Law said. "Time to go back to the island."

"Right." Neo nodded.

Law warped them back to the docks.

"So what now?" Topaz asked. "Do you want to look around some more?"  
"I think I'd rather go back to the hotel for now and give the puppy a bath," Neo said. "His coat is really dirty."

"You do that. Just remember not to wonder off by yourself," Law said.

"I won't," Neo said. The small group wondered back over the docks and into the town. Soon Law broke off to them to continue his roaming while the other three pirates entered into the hotel.

Penguin stepped a little ahead of Neo, shielding the puppy from the receptionist's view as they scurried up the stairs. They headed into Topaz's room. He said, "We made it."

"I don't think we're going to have to hide the puppy," Topaz said while Neo entered into the bathroom. "The captain's a Warlord after all. And if his status can't make it happen, Neo's cuteness will."

Penguin laughed. "That's true."

"It doesn't matter," Neo said, turning the water on to the sink. The puppy jumped at the running water before inspecting it curiously. "The puppy's staying with me. I'm not going to let that man touch him again."

…

With the puppy tucked in her arms, she pouted up at the man trying to stop her from bring the animal into the Barley restaurant. Between that and the harsh look Law was giving him, the man easily caved and led them to some tables in the corner of the room in hopes no one would complain about the animal. The man pushed a couple of tables together to accommodate the seventeen crewmembers. "Your waitress will be here in a minute."

"See?" Penguin said. "Easily done."

"That's our girl and our captain," Shachi said.

Neo didn't respond as she sat down with the puppy in her lap. She sniffed the air. From the spices floating around she could tell that this place made a lot of pasta dishes. That was strike one in her book. She and Law only allowed well-balanced meals for the crew. Constantly eating starchy foods would not be permitted.

"What would you all like to drink?" A tall, short blonde haired waitress asked.

"Sweet tea," Neo said after the rest of the crew put in their orders. Lightly sweetened tea was her favorite. So of course she was going to be checking for that as well. She opened her menu to find a huge list of pasta dishes despite this place giving no indication for this actually being a restaurant that specialized in pasta. A few minutes later their waitress came back with their drinks balanced skillfully on the round tray in her hand. One by one she placed their drinks on the table. It made her wonder how the woman could remember who had what drink.

"Have you decided what you'd like? Or would you like a few more minutes?" the woman asked.

The crew was ready. They put in their orders, most getting pasta dishes while others got fish or some other form of meat. Neo caved and got her a spaghetti dish. She wondered about the flavor so she decided to try it. Handing the menu back to the woman, she sipped a bit of her tea and wrinkled her nose when the thick sugary substance bombarded her tongue. Second strike in her book. "Yuck. Too sweet. Way too sweet."

"Here," Penguin said, pulling her glass towards him. Having already taken several big drinks of his own tea, he pour just a little under half of hers into his glass then used Archer's water and diluted the sweet tea. "Better?"

"Yes," Neo said after tasting it. "Thanks guys."

"You're welcome," Penguin said while Archer winked at her.

Neo smiled. The crew always took good care of her like she took care of them. When the puppy whimpered up at her, she grabbed a piece of breadstick from the appetizers that came with their pasta dishes the waitress just brought over and began feeding the puppy. Taking a bite herself she found it was covered in butter and garlic, not bad but too much flavoring for the crew. She smiled innocently at Law when he lifted an eyebrow at her. "What? Consider this _your_ breadstick. You're not going to eat it. So why let it go to waste? Besides, he's hungry too."

Law sighed and rubbed his forehead. There was no way he could argue with her logic on that one. She won yet again for the second time that day. He already got the feeling she was going to win a third time where this cook was concerned. And he was proven right when their food came about ten minutes later.

Neo hummed as she picked at her food. She didn't like the blended flavors of the spaghetti she was eating. It tasted like the cook poured far too much pepper into the sauce. Third strike. No way this cook was getting any where near her home and family.

…

 **Author's Notes: I'm so sorry for going on hiatus with this. I'm sorry! I'm back now and hopefully won't do that again.**


	3. Prowl P3

Prowl

Part Three

 _Neo breathed out. Her warm breath curling in the air as it danced among the coolness around her. She looked around to find herself on an island with nothing but snow covering it. "Where am I?"_

 _Without any prompting, she started to walk forward. It was like her feet wanted her to go to a certain place and she had no choice but to follow what they wanted. As she walked, it started to snow. The cold, lightweight flakes fell onto her warm skin. She gasped lightly when the snowflakes didn't melt on her. Instead they grew into ice crystals that crackled and decorated her skin before they finally melted away and ran down her body. "What was that? Why did they freeze like that before melting? What's going on here? Law? Penguin? Topaz? Is anyone here?"_

 _Neo started to look around again. She still didn't see anyone. All she saw was the snow that had been there before. It made her feel lonely. A deep sadness slowly started to embed its way into her chest. Memories of her past came flashing back into her mind. She shook her head before grabbed it in her hands. "No! Don't! No more nightmares! Just go away! Go away!"_

 _As if actually listening to her, her painful memories faded away from her letting her ragged breathes slow down. When they stopped she looked up. She started when she saw she was no longer alone. Ten yards in front of her was a baby snow leopard. "Oh, hello. What are you doing here? Do you live here?"_

 _The snow leopard just stared at her with chilly icy grey eyes._

 _"What's wrong? Can't you talk?" Neo said. "I'm an Elemental. You don't have to be afraid. I'm sure you can sense that I'm different from humans."_

 _The snow leopard slowly began to swish its tail back and forth. It's icy grey eyes staring sharply at her, watching her, stalking her._

 _Neo took a small step back. She felt like this creature, this animal, was actually going to attack her. But that was impossibly. Animals never attacked her. She was just as much a part of nature as they were. She jumped again when the snow leopard stood up. She half expected it to run towards her. She relaxed what all the baby did was turn and walked away from her. Disappointment settled in her chest. She wasn't use to animals walking away from her. But the feeling quickly vanished when the creature looked back at her with eyes that now beckoned her to follow it. Without a second thought, she did. She took after the little animal. Following it through the snow. It never looked back at her again. It only kept walking and walking until Neo noticed it was moving away from her._

 _"Hey, wait a second," Neo called out to the creature. "Where are you going? Slow down."_

 _It didn't. The animal just continued to walk off without her._

 _Neo started to run. But no matter how fast she ran she just couldn't catch up to the snow leopard. Then, out of now where, a fierce wind picked up around her. It stopped her in her tracks. She threw up her arms to block all of the snow before she noticed the snow wasn't cold or touching her. She looked down to find ice was slowly creeping up her bare feet and pajama bottoms. She ordered the ice to stop. "Stop that. Get off of me."_

 _It didn't listen. It just slowly kept creeping up her body. She didn't fear it though. She was still nature and could control it. But that didn't answer her questions of why this was happening in the first place or why she couldn't stop it. Then suddenly, just as the ice reached her chest, a familiar heart shape started glowing right over her own heart. It melted the ice, freeing her from its bondage._

"Huh?" Neo opened her eyes to the still slightly unfamiliar surrounding of their hotel room. A startled gasp left her lips as she shot up in bed. "Law!"

"I'm here," Law said, stepping out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his hips. He rushed over to her. Sitting down on the bed, he gathered her in his arms. "What's wrong, love? You're shaking. You didn't have another nightmare."

"I'm okay," Neo said, relaxing into his hold. "It wasn't a nightmare. It was just a really weird dream. Then I woke up and forgot we weren't in the sub. I was just startled."

"I see." Law rubbed his hand over her back. "What was your dream about? Or would you like me to read your mind?"

"It's fine. I was just dreaming about a baby snow leopard," Neo explained. "We were on a snow island with nothing else around. At first it looked like it wanted to kill me but then it wanted me to follow it. While I was following it, it started to move away from me. I couldn't catch up. Then she was suddenly gone. Ice started forming on my feet. I couldn't control it. It continued up my body then stopped when my heart started to glow."

"Your heart?" Law asked.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. She pulled back a little bit and pointed at his chest. "Actually it was your tattoo. It appeared on my chest. The glow from it melted the ice away. It was really weird."

"It was just a dream," Law said. "They're often weird."

"Yeah, I know." Neo leaned back into his warm chest. "I'm just glad it wasn't a nightmare. I don't think I'd be able to handle one while being on this island and looking for a cook."

"Most likely your dream was influenced by that newspaper article the crew has been talking about these past few days. You all took a real interest in that and have been talking about nothing else," Law said.

"I guess we have," Neo said. She breathed in his clean scent. He always smelled so good to her after having a shower. "It's not often you hear about someone stealing a Navy ship, especially just one person and someone who doesn't appear to be a pirate. I wonder why she did that. Anyway, like I said, I'm just glad I didn't have a nightmare."

"Don't worry about it if you do have one. I'll take you back to the sub for a while if you do have a nightmare so you can settle down from it in familiar territory," Law said. He started stroking her hair tenderly while she continued to relax against him. "Have you decided yet what books you're going to get?"

"No, not yet," Neo said. "Penguin's going to take me to the bookstore today. I'll decide when I get there. After that he and Bepo are going to take me to a hidden part of the island so I can work my wings."

"That's good," Law said. "After that we can get back to searching for a new cook."

Neo groaned. She lifted back off of him. "Kiss."

Law smiled then leaned down and captured her lips. She immediately parted her soft lips for him, which he gladly took the invite quickly. But as they heated up a furry little guest jumped between them, licking them both on the chin. "That mutt again."

"He likes you," Neo said with a mischievous bell filled giggle.

"He's annoying. Every time we try to kiss around him he always jumps in the middle of it," Law said, brushing the dog kiss off his use to be clean skin with the back of his wrist. "You need to find that thing a home."

"He could have a home with us." Neo batted her innocent eyelashes at her lover.

"Don't give me that look," Law said with a sigh. Despite knowing it wouldn't be safe for a dog to travel with them, he still wondered how he hasn't caved to her want of taking the dog with them. It was just a small dog. It wouldn't have taken up much space on the sub. But he just couldn't allow it. "You know we can't take the dog with us."

"I know," Neo said. She ran her hand over the dog's belly when he rolled over for attention. "I just don't like the idea of leaving him here where his former owner has the chance to take him back and beat him again."

Law sighed. Neo clearly had a connection with this dog and not just because he was an animal. This dog suffered abuse just like she did. And since she had rescued him, she's kept the dog with her everywhere she went these past four days, even into restaurants. He wasn't sure how she managed that exactly. He knew her childlike cuteness helped the situation along. So it could be because the people caved to her big childlike eyes and childlike features. Or it could be because he was a Warlord that they didn't want to mess with. Either way their crew had gained a temporary new fuzzy member that followed them everywhere. He reached out and brushed his hand up and down her arm before cupping her neck and pressing their foreheads together. "I know you're worried about that. And we'll find him a good home before we leave so you know for sure that his former owner won't ever hurt him again. I promise. Okay?"  
"Okay," Neo said reluctantly.

"Good girl." Law pressed a kiss to her forehead before he started to standing up. And just as he did, the small black mixed breed dog grabbed a hold of his towel with his teeth. Heat flushed over his cheeks as his hands grabbed desperately onto the towel to keep it from falling off. The action caused Neo to laugh hard. So hard that she had to grab a pillow and stuff it into her face so her bells wouldn't be heard from other residents passing their room. He shot the dog a harsh glare, which the dog only whimpered innocently at and rolled over onto his back, before heading back into the bathroom. "Very funny."

"Law, my love, are you _sure_ we can't keep the-"

"No!" Law said, cutting her off with his words and then the bathroom door.

"You're such a naughty boy," Neo said to the dog. She picked him up and snuggled his against her chest, earning several happy licks from her furry friend. "You're lucky I'm right here. Law would have Shambled you into a million otherwise. Now be a good boy. I don't want to have to get rid of you quicker than I have to."

The dog just growled playfully as if it he was pretending to be innocent in his actions.

"You're so silly," Neo said, scratching his warm belly. "That look might work on me but it won't work on Law. Unless it comes from me."

…

"Hey. Hey, you. Wake up."

"Go away, Polaris," Eira grumbled while rolling over onto her right side. She curled into a ball and wrapped her tail around her leg. "I don't feel like getting up yet. Go bother someone else for a change."

"Well, tough! I'm not this Polaris fellow! And you are getting up right this second! I don't take kindly to stowaways on my ship!"

"Huh?" Eira opened her eyes. Blinking to clear the sleepy blur from her striking blue eyes, she looked up and saw a short, chubby man with greasy greyish white hair staring down at her. Her sensitive nose twitched at his unwashed body and clothes. Her eyes ran over his grease, sweat and, who knows what else, stained shirt. She did detect a small amount of blood, but knew instantly it was fish blood. The blood made her hungry and caused her animal instincts to twitch in annoyance. Her eyes then drifted down his shirt when his hand hooked into his black belt, right next to a sword that she wondered if he really knew how to use. She flexed out her hands, her nails growing a quarter of an inch longer. Her left ear twitched when the man slipped his hand upon the hilt of his sword. A low growl rumbled deep in her throat. She smelled the fear and questions she was raising in him and quickly cut off her growl. She wondered if she should have slept here in her human form instead of her leopard form. Keeping her forms separate was a lot harder than she though it was going to be. She was so use to being able to switch back and forth at will. Pushing her annoyance aside, she said, "Better watch it. I don't take very kindly to people who try and attack me."

The old man scoffed at her. She knew he was just trying to act like he wasn't scared of her. She could smell his fear. Still he relaxed his hand.

Good boy, she thought to herself. It would be stupid to throw your life away for nothing.

He then said, "I ain't gonna attack ya. If I wanted to do that, I would have dumped your Devil Fruit butt overboard a long time ago."

"Devil Fruit." Eira tilted her head. Her plan was working already, even if it was just part of it.

"What, exactly, are you? Some kind of cat?" the man asked.

Eira narrowed her eyebrows at him when he ran his black eyes over her fur-covered body. She noticed the fear he once had was now completely gone. And it was replaced with sexual desires. Sexual desires she's seen so many times back on the island she came from. Quickly she put the thoughts of _that_ place out of her head. She releases another low warning growl. "If you don't stop with those sexual thoughts I'm going to rip off your head so you'll never have them again."

The man stumbled backwards, caught off guard that someone so young could have easily told what he was thinking. She scoffed. "Don't look so surprised. It was written all over you face what you had intended to do. I've seen those looks several times pass between my _guardians_."

She waited for him to respond but all he did was hum. He hummed in thought as the sun shifted its position causing a beam to come in through a porthole and landed on her spots. Amused, he said, "I thought your spots were rings of black on brown. But they're really rings of dark blue on a lighter shade of blue. And I've gotta say the rest of your fur is literally white as snow. And you can wrap your tail around your leg. I didn't think cats could do that. But then I've never seen a Zoan user up close like this before. You're smaller than they are too. Quite an interesting specimen you are."

Eira's entire body flinched at his words. Her nails grew half an inch longer. She growled, "Shut up! Don't call me a specimen! I'm not your specimen or anyone else's!"

"Whoa, whoa! Easy!" the man said. He stumbled backwards and grabbed his sword, but didn't pull it out. "Look, I really don't want any trouble with a Devil Fruit user! Just get off my ship! We've docked over thirty minutes ago!"

"We've docked?" Eira's anger vanished at the man's revelation. She grabbed her hooded cloak and bag then bolted for the door. She sped past the rest of the crew, completely ignoring them and their calls to slow down, and ran out onto the deck of the ship. She threw her fists in the air, enjoying the warm wind on her fur. "Yes! Finally! Freedom!"

She took in a deep breath. The air was filled with salt from the sea and a variety of foods being cooked on the island plus trees. Her stomach rumbled when she smelt one of her favorite, sea pig meat. "Finally! I can get some _real_ food instead of that tripe this stupid vessel had in storage!"

"Stowaway, steal my food, then insult it?" the old man grumbled as he walked out on the deck. He planted his hands on his hips and glared at her. "Get off my ship! And, if I ever catch you back here, I _will_ throw you over board, girly!"

"Whatever, old man!" Eira waved her hand in dismissal at him before bolting to the edge of the ship where a man was about to haul a rope ladder over the side.

"Hey! Wait a second!" the man shrieked in terror as she ran towards him. "Give me a moment to lower the ladder!"

"Don't need one!" Eira replied before jumping upon the railing of the ship. She chuckled then pushed off the wood beneath her feet. She could feel the men's eye bug out of their heads when she leaped over fifteen feet into the air. Twisting her body around to face them, she laughed at their shocked expressions before shouting back at them. She said, "What?! Never see a snow leopard jump before?! And, hey, old man! I have a name! But I'm not going to tell you lot what it is! I'm going to let you try and figure it out on your own! By the way! You're all out of fish, apples, and bananas! You might want to stock up on them before you leave! And tell your cook to take some cooking lessons! That food was terrible!"

Without bothering to listen to the old man's angry reply, Eira spun back around. She tucked her head into her chest, wrapped her arms around her knees, and did a couple summersaults before landing on the dock effortlessly. A couple men, who were on the deck stacking supplies for their own ship, started at her sudden appearance when she landed with a thud. She laughed at their shocked expressions before running towards the town. She jerked to a pause when her feet touched the dirt. She looked down and dug her toes into the rich brown soil. She squealed, "Now this is more like it! I know I was only on the ship for four days, but it felt like I was on there for an entire lifetime! I guess ditching that Navy ship wasn't the best idea in the world! But I would have gotten caught if I stayed on it! All well! What's done is done! Time to get back to my human form before I go into the town!"

Eira looked up at the sky. It's bright blue stretched on forever. The sun was high, bright, and extremely warm. She stretched out her arms to soak in the sun's warm rays. Hiding in the shadows on board a ship wasn't the best thing in the world for her. She liked to move. She needed freedom. "Now this feels so nice! I love how warm the sun is! Definitely much better than being back _home_!"

After soak in enough sun, Eira made her way towards the edge of town. Moving swiftly, so she didn't gain a lot of attention, she disappeared into the thick forest that was just outside of the town, only gaining a few glances. She ducked around a tree then immediately jumped high into the tree's branches. Carefully she glanced down and scanned the area below her to see if anyone followed her. She remained in this position for several minutes before sniffing the air. She found no one was around her. So she changed into her human form and dropped back down to the ground. Adjusting her cloak and bag, she headed back towards the village. Just as she made it back to the docks, a large family was descending from their ship. Casually, she slipped up beside them. Luckily, a few of them had black hair so she was able to easily blend in with them and pretend she was one of their own. She followed along with them, scanning her eyes over the town before. She noticed there was a large sign just on the outside of the town that she didn't notice before.

"Hm…Welcome to Bolt Island. Bolt? What a weird name for an island. I wonder why they called it that of all things," Eira said to herself. She then proceeded to wonder down the streets of Bolt Island with her fake family. She darted her eyes over all of the people, surveying them working their booths or showing off their crafts -a festival maybe- until she was able to break away from this family. She soon got her chance. Just as they were passing by an alleyway a group of people walked past them. She used them as a cover to duck down the alley.

Her stomach then rumbled, reminding her it's been hours since she had a decent meal. Her bright expression dimmed. Technically it has been days since she actually had a decent meal. That ship she was just on had nothing but garbage. And the cook had absolutely no idea how to cook. She wondered how that crew had managed to survive on the open seas with garbage like that. And since she was a stowaway there was no option for catching any fresh sea pig or any other fish in the sea. It would have blown her cover if she pulled in a fish while being invisible.

She rounded to the other side of the building. Walking back out into the crowd, she looked around her surrounds again. There were plenty of restaurants on this island. But she didn't have any money. So her only option was to steal. "All right then. I need to refuel. That means either stealing something or-Oof!"

Before she could finish her sentence, someone bumped into her. She looked to see who it was when the person growled at her. He said, "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

" _I_ was standing _still_. _You_ were _walking_. _Watch_ where _you're_ going," she snapped back. She ran her eyes over the man as her nose took in his scent. He smelled of unwashed, for days if not weeks, clothes and booze. His hair was dark brown, with matching eyes. He wore a dingy grey short sleeve shirt with a torn dull red vest. His black pants were held up with a thick belt that had two swords hanging from each side of his hips. She could easily smell countless amounts of blood on his clothes and swords. _Pirate,_ she thought. _He's not a Navy man or a mountain bandit. He's also going to be trouble. I can smell that on him just as much as I can smell the booze and blood._

"Don't get sassy with me, brat! I'm a wanted man! A pirate captain worth three hundred million berries!" the pirate hissed, revealing two missing teeth on his top row. He then cocked his head, causing her tension to rise. His eyes roaming over her body, her curves, her face, and back again. She started to released a low growl in her throat but quickly cut herself off. She was human right now. She wasn't in her snow leopard form. If he heard her, he didn't show any signs of it. "Not bad looking. We don't seem many girls like you around these parts. It's a rare sight to see such a delicious treat."

"I'm a rare type all right." Eira smirked. "I could show you, but I know you wouldn't be able to handle it. So just move along before I change my mind."

"Such a sassy little thing, aren't cha?" the man laughed. "Well, that's okay. I really don't have time right now to properly play with you. We can do that later. I have to meet up with my crew right now. Later, sweet thang."

"Sweet _thang_?" Eira mumbled as she watched him walk of. "Good grief. Lacking brains as well as verbal skills. Hm?" Her attention was pulled from the pirate when everyone around her suddenly started throwing their things into boxes and bolted for buildings. "What the heck is that all about?"

Then she smelt it, a split second of an incoming storm before a deafening crack of thunder released above her. It made her jump. "What the heck?! Where did this storm come from?! Usually I sense them before they hit!"

"Hey! Hey you in the cloak!" a man called out to her.

"Huh?" Eira turned to the man calling for her.

"You need to get inside! Quick! Lightning is about to strike all over this island!" he said.

"What do you-" Before she could finish, another loud crack of thunder boomed overhead followed by several streaks of lightening that hit several spots on the island.

"Hurry! Come with me!" he said.

Eira hesitated. Trusting people wasn't at the top of her list of favorite things. But she didn't have a clue where else she could go. She didn't have time to scout out this island to find herself a place to stay. So, against her better judgment, she decided to follow the man. He was an average man, slim build, and wearing glasses. She couldn't easily take him down if it was needed.

"Hurry up!" he said as he took off down the street.

Eira ran after him, their feet splashing in the rain that was gathering on the island below them. It only took them two minutes to reach their destination. She paused when he ran into a hotel. Taking in the place carefully. It was just a simple white building with a porch with two steps. Looked harmless enough so she entered. A cool rush and the fresh smell of lavender washed over her when she entered the door. She looked around. Carefully taking in the details of the hotel. The check in counter was right across from the doors. To her right was the stairs. There was one door on her left where she could see a couple of chairs and the corner of a table and a couple benches scattered around the room. White walls were decorated with several lavender plants and paintings of lavender plants. She scoffed to herself, "Someone sure likes lavender."

A crash caused her to whip around. She lifted her fists in preparation to attack. She relaxed slightly when she found that the man she had followed in here had just knocked over a stand full of umbrellas. With reddened cheeks, he said, "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you. I'm a bit on the clumsy side of things."

"It's fine." Eira lowered her hands down.

"So, let me guess, you're new here, aren't you?" he asked.

"Why does that matter?" Eira asked. Her guard rose once more at his question.

"Sorry. Looks like I've put you on guard again," he said. Eira kept her eyes on him as he bend down to fix the umbrella stand that he knocked over. "I didn't mean anything by that. I was just asking because you were just standing there. People who know about this island's weather often run at the sight of a storm."

"So storms like that happen here often?" Eira asked.

"Practically everyday," he said. "I'm sure you noticed the name of the island when you got here."

"Bolt," Eira said with a small nod. "Oh, so these storms are why this island is called Bold Island."

"That's correct," he said. "This island is always being struck by lightning and sometimes multiple times a day. You never know when one of these storms is going to pop in. They're fast little buggers."

"So that's why I didn't sense it," Eira said. "I'm not use to such fast storms."

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Eira said.

"Jon is that you?" a soft female voice called out.

"Yes, honey," Jon said. "I'm home."

Eira tensed up. She whipped around when she heard footsteps coming closer to them. She narrowed the sound to a door at the far end of the room on the other side of the stairs. She readied herself to attack, but jerked to startling paused when the woman stepped into the room. The woman was small, petite, and pregnant.

"Oh, I didn't realize we had a guest," the woman said with a warm smile. "I was in the back and didn't hear you come in. I'm sorry."

"Uh, no," Eira said. "Don't be. I just, uh, arrived."

"She came in with me," Jon said. "She's new to the island."

"Honey, you're soaking wet," the woman said, eyeing the man. "You two should change immediately. Don't want to catch a cold, now do you?"

"I'll do that right now," Jon said. "Would you like to change? We can let you borrow our bathroom. Or if you want you can go ahead a rent a room."

"Rent a room? Oh, no, sorry. I'm not here to rent a room," Eira said.

"Oh, do you have family here then?" the woman asked.

"No," Eira said.

"Then where were you going to sleep?" the woman asked.

"Outside," Eira said. "Or I was going to until I learned what this place is really like."

"Yes, this island isn't good for sleeping outside," she said while moving behind the check in counter. "But that's okay. We can give you a room. We don't have many guest right now."

"No, that's not necessary," Eira said. "I'll just wait until the storm passes then leave."

"Well, all right then," she said. "If that's what you want. You are more than welcome to stay in here until the storm passes. My name is Melody. And you've already met my husband, Jon."

"Hi," Jon said with a wave before he disappeared into the door Melody had just come out of.

"Yeah, hi," Eira mumbled. She then walked over to a bench that was sitting near a window. She sat down and stared out into the pouring rain, wondering when it was going to let up. She didn't care much for being around strangers. But she had no choice but to wait out this storm. She knew as strong as she was she couldn't live from getting struck by lightning. With a heavy sigh, she waited and just stared out the window while sniffing the air for other scents. She found a total of fifteen other scents mixing in with the man and woman she just meet. _Good. I can handle fifteen people easily enough. And this place looks too good for pirates to stay here. So I'm positive none of the guests are pirates. I should be fine here until the storm passes. Then I'm getting the heck out of here._

…

"It's such a nice day," Penguin said while stretching his arms out as he, Neo, and Bepo enjoyed the lovely weather. He looked down at the dog that was scampering around their feet. "Little Captain seems to be enjoying the day as well."

"Yes, Little Law is a lot happier now that he's not being abused. And Law would love to go wondering around this island today," Neo said. She looked up at the bright blue sky above her. "Too bad he has to spend the majority of his time scouting for a new cook."

"We should just stick with that cook we met yesterday," Penguin said. "She was such a hottie."

Neo growled at him.

"Sorry, sorry," Penguin said, holding his hands up in a surrendering fashion. "I know the rules. No woman is allowed to cook for us but you."

"That's correct," Neo said. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked a few feet ahead of her escorts.

"Aw, come on," Penguin begged. "Don't be upset with me."

"You shouldn't have even said that," Bepo said.

"Oh, shut up!" Penguin snapped.

"I'm sorry," Bepo said, hanging his head.

"Don't snap at Bepo like that," Neo said. She turned back around and patted Bepo's hanging head. "I know Penguin's just drooling over that woman because he's a man. She was his type after all."

"You're correct." Bepo smiled. "He is a man."

"Shut up! You drool over female bears just as much as I drool over female humans!" Penguin said.

"You see more women than I do bears," Bepo said with a pointed glare.

"He has a point there." Neo giggled. She bent down and pet the dog at her feet when he barked for attention. "I'm sorry, Penguin. I didn't mean to get upset with you."

"It's fine. I can tell you're a little tense today," Penguin said. "Did your dream really bother you that much?"

"I guess it did." Neo stood up and looked at the man who had become her best friend and brother. "It's weird. My normal dreams usually don't bother me like this. Maybe I should have stayed with Law today."

"Naw," Penguin said. "All you need is a good dose of books and then some exercise. I'm sure you'll be back to normal after that."

"Yeah!" Neo nodded. She then linked her arms with Bepo and Penguin and pulled them through the town. "Let's get to the bookstore!"

"She's happy already," Bepo said while he and Penguin allowed Neo to pull her through the town.

Five minutes later, the Heart Pirates finally reached their destination. Neo waited patiently as Penguin pushed opened the door and stepped inside to make sure no one was close enough to bump into her when she entered. When she finally did, she was greeted with the smell of new books, one of her most favorite smells in the world. She glanced down to check on Little Law as he followed her around through isle after isle. She scanned her eyes over all of the books before her, only pausing when someone else in the isle started to move. Once she knew they weren't going to touch her, she continued on her way. Ultimately she found herself at the fantasy section of the store. Fantasy books were in her top favorite because of the fairies. They were so similar to her. Sometimes she wondered if it was her people that inspired some of the stories people had written. It was something she never would know the answer too, but it was fun to think about it.

After almost three hours looking over the books, Neo pulled the six she wanted and headed to the next isle where Penguin was waiting for her and looking through a book of his own. "Penguin."

"Finally found your books?" Penguin asked when she reached him. He closed the book he was looking at and placed it back on the shelf.

"Yes." Neo nodded. "It was a hard decision, but I finally decided on the six that I really wanted." She looked around and noticed they were missing one member. "Where'd Bepo go?"

"Probably over at the magazine rack," Penguin said as he took the six books from Neo's arms. "Let's go get him."

Neo and Little Law followed obediently after Penguin. And just like the man had said, their missing bear friend was indeed standing at the magazine rack. He had a fishing magazine in his paws and was drooling over some of the large catches in it. Neo bit her bottom lip to stop herself from giggling. She said, "Bepo, you're going to just aggravate yourself by looking at those fishing magazines."

"I can't help it," Bepo said, drool running down his fuzzy chin. "They all look so good."

"Well, put it back and let's go," Penguin said. "Neo's finished shopping."

"All right." Bepo slowly closed the magazine and placed it back on the rack. The small group of four then shuffled over to the check out counter.

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" the man behind the counter asked.

"Yes, we did," Neo said. She pulled out her money and paid the man when he had her total rung up.

"Thank you. And have a nice day," the man said.

"You too," Neo said while Penguin grabbed her purchase. The group then headed out the door.

"Are we going to the woods now?" Bepo asked.

"If you two don't mind, I'd like to drop off my books at the sub," Neo said.

"Why?" Bepo asked.

"So I'm not tempted to read them now," Neo said. "I want to save them for the sub."

"That's a good plan," Penguin said. "There's a lot to do on this island. You can always read later."

"We can head off into the woods after that," Neo said. The group then weaved their way through the lightly crowded streets. On their way back to the docks, they ran into a few of their crewmates. They spoke with each other for a few minutes before going their separate ways. Before long the small group of four had reached the sub. She summoned her wind crystals and flew them all upon the deck. Once her books were safely stored just inside the door, someone else would put them up later if she didn't, she gathered them up again in her winds and flew them towards the forest. Following their directions it only took her a few minutes to get to an opened in the dense forest. The trees were tall and full of lush green leaves and had several vines decorated with white flowers handing down from them. It smelt so fresh and crisp out here. "Wow! This is amazing!"

"We thought you might like it," Penguin said with a big smile.

"I love it!" Neo said. She looked up to they sky. "I wish we could camp out here. It has to have an amazing view of the stars."

"It probably does," Bepo agreed.

"Time to fly," Neo said. Summoning her wings, she gave them a few flutters before lifting herself into the air. She heard Little Law barking wildly with excitement as she shook off around the perimeter of their mini paradise. After a few minutes of flying, she glanced down to see that Bepo and Penguin had gotten into a sparing session of their own. She smiled. "Good. At least they won't be bored just watching me fly."

After a few more minutes of flying, she summoned her crystals and created some obstacles for both herself and for Penguin and Bepo. The small group then got into to a little game of trying to bring Neo down from the air. She flew around large flowers, through fire and water hoops, while the boys tried to tag her. Suddenly, Little Law went on alert and started barking wildly. She stopped short of entering into a fire hoop. She looked at the dog, noticing his fur was standing on its ends, and said, "What is it, boy?"

"What's up with him?" Penguin asked through his pants.

"He was fine a second ago," Bepo said.

"Little Law?" Neo lowered herself down to him. She reached for him but before she could touch him he bolted off towards the trees. "Little Law! Wait! Where are you going?!"

"We better follow him," Penguin said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. She wrapped her winds around her two companions then rushed after their furry friend. She weaved them in and out of the trees, just barely keeping Little Law in her sights.

"Let me go!" a girl's voice called out then.

Neo jerked them to a stop and lowered them to the ground.

"Who was that?" Bepo asked.

"Sounds like someone's in trouble," Penguin noted. He was correct. Just as they rounded one more tree they came across two girls being held captive by a small group of seven pirates just outside the mouth of a cave.

Neo quickly banished her wings so they wouldn't be seen by these people.

"Hold still, you little brat," the pirate, who was holding the oldest of the girls, said. He struggled to maintain his hold on her while she thrashed around wildly in his arms.

"I said let me go!" she screamed. "And you better not hurt my sister! If you do I'll kick you're sorry asses from dusk 'til dawn!"

The pirates laughed at the girl's big talk. One said, "Oh, some little girl has a smart mouth on her. Such language for one so young."

"Mommy!" the other little girl cried. She was sitting on the ground crying and completely scared of what was happening.

"Stop your crying," another pirate said. He was standing over her with an annoyed look on his face like he was going to thrash her. "You're annoying."

The little girl only cried harder. "I want my mommy!"

"Hey! Didn't you hear him?" a third pirate said. "He said to stop crying!"

"Well, what do we have here?" a fourth pirate said when Little Law came barking out of the forest and grabbed a hold of his pant leg with his teeth. He laughed at the little dog's attempt to stop them with determined but small growls. "Some furious little beast."

"Looks like he likes you," the third pirate said.

"He won't like me after this." The fourth pirate pulled back his foot in an attempt to kick the dog off of him.

"Don't you dare!" Neo hissed, causing the pirates to look up at their unexpected guests. She snapped out several vines, wrapping them around the pirate's leg before he could start swinging. "You leave him alone!"

"Well, well," the pirate holding the girl said. "Looks like we have guests. And it's the Heart Pirates if I'm not mistaken."

"If you know who we are then you know not to mess with us," Penguin said, stepping out from behind the tree they were hiding behind.

"Let the girls go," Bepo added.

"We're not scared of you," the pirate holding the girl said.

"You should be," the girl said before she clamped her teeth down onto his wrist.

"You brat!" the pirate hissed. He pushed the girl away from him, knocking her down to the ground, and then unsheathed his sword from his belt. "You're going to pay for that!"

"Not today!" Penguin said. Snapping into action, he rushed forward and kicked the sword from the pirate's hand then roundhouse kicked him.

Bepo bolted for the other pirates when they tried to descend upon Penguin. Easily he kicked them several times. Their bodies flew through the air before landing on the ground with hard thumps.

"You're going to pay for this," one of the pirates hissed as they picked themselves up and scurried off into the forest.

"Little Law!" Neo squealed when her puppy jumped into her arms. "You're such a good boy. Protecting these girls. But don't ever run off like that again. You scared me."

Little Law barked and licked her cheek while happily wagging his tail.

"All right. You're forgiven," Neo said.

"That was so cool!" the older girl exclaimed. "You beat them with just a few kicks! You pirates must be really strong!"

"Well, we have to be to sail into the New World," Penguin said. He walked over to the girl and kneeled down in front of her. "Are you hurt at all?"

"No, I'm okay," she said. She picked herself up off the ground and smiled. "I'm really tough myself."

"I'm sure you are," Penguin said with a smile.

"How are you? Are you okay?" Bepo asked the smaller of the two girls.

The little girl didn't answer right away. She just continued crying for a few seconds before finally looking up a Bepo. She jumped and scurried back from him.

"He won't hurt you," Neo said. Still cuddling Little Law in her arms, she walked closer to the two girls. "Bepo's very friendly."

"He…he can talk," the little girl said.

"I'm sorry." Bepo bowed his head in depression.

"Bepo," Neo said. She turned her eyes back to the little girl when she moved. She watched as the girl stared at Bepo. The fear in the little girl's eyes slowly disappeared as she watched him. Then she moved forward and poked his knee.

Bepo looked up at her. When the little girl smiled at him, he smiled back. "I'm Bepo. These are my friends and crewmates Penguin and Neo. And the little dog is Little Captain. Neo calls him Little Law though."

"I'm Belinda," the little girl said. "She's my older sister, Bethany."

"Hi." Bethany waved.

"So what are you two doing out here all alone?" Penguin asked. But before the girls could answer a shot rang out into the air. The pirates whipped around to see a rather bulky man sitting up onto of a brown horse and aiming a shotgun right at them.

"Hold it! You pirates get away from my sisters!" the man growled.

Neo narrowed her eyebrows at the man who dared point a gun at her family. She summoned a fire crystal in the barrel of the gun. Just as it started to glow, Bethany ran in between them and this new arrival. She said, "Wait! Basil, they're not bad people! They saved us!"

"What?" The man lowered his gun a bit.

"It's true!" Bethany insisted. "It was other pirates who were trying to hurt us! These pirate ran the other ones off!"

"It's true!" Belinda added. "These pirates are our friends!"

"Friends?" Neo murmured.

"Just go with it," Penguin whispered to her. "This man is just protecting these girls. They're probably his sisters."

"Well," Basil said. He lowered his gun more before dismounting from his horse. "I must thank you all then. I'm sorry for the trouble my little sisters caused you."

"It was no trouble at all," Penguin said. "We were in the neighborhood."

Neo stepped closer to Penguin when the man walked over to them. She carefully examined the details of his features. Despite his rather bulky size, his boyish features made him look nice enough to get close to. Still, she remained standing with Penguin, unsure of this new man. She twitched nervously when the man walked closer to them. But instead of a dressing them, he looked at his younger sisters.

"What in the world are you two doing out here?" Basil asked. "You know you're not suppose to be coming around this mine. It's dangerous. You were going to explore it again, weren't you?"

"No, we weren't," Bethany said, obviously lying.

Basil sighed. He ran his hand through his black hair. "Bethany, how many times do we have to go over this? This mine isn't safe for you all to explore. And it's certainly not safe for you all since those pirates have been hanging around."

"Those pirates have been here before?" Bepo asked.

"Yeah." Basil turned to the Heart Pirates. "They've been here for almost a month. I'm not sure what they're looking for, but they keep coming onto our land."

"This is your land?" Penguin asked.

"Yes." Basil nodded. "So, technically, you all are trespassing too."

Little Law growled at Basil. Neo patted his head to hush him.

Basil chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I can see you all didn't know. And you saved my little sisters, so we're good."

"Thanks," Penguin said. "But how did you even know they were out here?"

"Another sister of ours saw them riding off in this direction," Basil explained. "She didn't think they were actually stupid enough to come out here, but when their horses returned without them she came and got me. I figured they'd be here since they always try to come here and explore the mine."

"But there's treasure in there," Bethany said.

"No, there's not," Basil said. He thumped his sister on the head with his fist. "You need to get over that rumor. This _used_ to be an old gold mine and nothing else. No one's suppose to go in there because the support for it is moldy and rotting."

"Aw, who cares about that?" Bethany crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm tough. I can handle a little cave in."

"You're not tough enough to have the ground fall in on top of your head," Basil said. "Now, I don't ever want to see you two out here again. If you do, so help me, I'll tied you two up and carry you everywhere with me for the rest of my life."

"You can't do that!" Bethany said.

"Just watch me," Basil said. With one hand on his hip, he pointed to the horse with his other hand. "Now get on that horse, both of you. We're going home."

"Yes, sir," the girls mumbled while walking over to the horse.

"Strong headed little things, aren't they?" Penguin said.

"It runs in the family," Basil said.

Neo tensed up when Basil moved closer to them. She relaxed when all he did was lean closer to Penguin. The wind shifted causing several familiar smells of spices coming off of Basil. She couldn't help but come slightly interested in him then. He was a cook or at least someone who worked in a restaurant. The strong amount of spices on him couldn't have come from just cooking for a few people.

"Personally, I blame our great, great, great grandfather," Basil said. "He was a pirate too and very stubborn."

"You have pirate blood in you?" Bepo asked.

"Yes, but only from him," Basil replied. "No one else, that we're aware of, has ever been a pirate. Most of our family worked hard honest jobs like building ships, buildings, trades, c-"

"Cooks," Neo said before Basil could say the word.

"Yes, ma'am," Basil said, clearly confused. "How did you know that?"

"You smell like a lot of spices," Neo said.

"Neo is also the main cook for our pirate crew," Penguin added in.

"Really?" Basil ran his eyes over her body. "You look so young to be on a pirate crew."

"Yeah," Neo said. "I get that a lot. But I'm twenty years old."

"Wow. You look amazing for being twenty," Basil said.

Neo frowned at him.

"Sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Basil said easily noticing her frown.

"No, it's nothing like that," Neo said. "I'm just not use to people outside of our crew giving me compliments. I'm sorry."

"Oh, well, I apologize for making you uncomfortable," Basil said. "To make up for it and to thank you all for saving my sisters, I want to invite you and your entire crew to our family restaurant."

"You own a restaurant?" Bepo asked.

"We sure do." Basil nodded. "Myself, my father, grandfather, and my two older brothers run the place. I help out too, but I'm more of a reserved cook for when one of the others can't work."

"Yeah! Our family has a ton of good cooks!" Bethany said from on top of the horse with her sister sitting in front of her. "You have to come eat there!"

"Yeah! Come eat there!" Belinda added.

"Well, we'll have to talk to our captain about it," Penguin said. "If it's okay with him then we'll be there for dinner."

"Great," Basil said. He walked back over to the horse and picked up the reins in his hand. "Our restaurant is called the B's Family Grill. See you later."

"Later," Penguin and Bepo said.

"So, what do you think?" Penguin asked after they watched the three siblings wonder off. "They seem nice. And he's familiar with pirates and cooking."

"Doesn't mean he's good enough to take care of my babies," Neo said.

"We should at least give him a chance," Penguin said. "You were comfortable enough with him to talk openly. Don't think I didn't notice that."

Neo grumbled to herself. She turned away from them when she felt her cheeks grown warm. She stared down at the dog in her arms for a moment before turning back to Penguin and Bepo. She said, "Fine. We'll go check out his restaurant."


	4. Prowl P4

Prowl

Part Four

Eira groaned in bored frustration. She dropped her head against the cool glass from the window she had been staring out for the past several hours. The storm was still raging just as strong as when it started. She was really beginning to feel that she wasn't going to get out of this hotel at all. Her stomach released an annoyed growl of hunger, reminding her she hadn't eaten in those several hours she has been on this island. Slowly, the smell of baked fish and freshly made tomato soup filtered into her sensitive nose. It made her stomach growl even louder and her mouth watered. She tensed up when Melody's scent mixed in with the food and her footsteps came closer.

"We have lunch ready," Melody's soft voice said. "Would you like to join us? We have plenty."

"No," Eira said. She kept her eyes staring out the window. She could see Melody's faded reflection in it. The woman had her golden hair pulled back now. She assumed it was because she was cooking. She brushed it aside quickly. She had no idea why she bothered noticing such a trivial detail.

"You must be hungry," Melody said.

"I'm fine," Eira's voice said. But her stomach disobediently contradicted her words. She became annoyed at her stomach for betraying her, but even more annoyed when Melody's reflection smiled.

"Well, you are welcome to join us," Melody said. "We won't even charge you for it."

"No thanks," Eira said. Stubbornly, she remained on the bench just staring straight out into the stormy weather. From the corner of her eyes, she watched as Melody's reflection turned and disappeared from her sight. With a sight, she closed her eyes and focus on her exceptional snow leopard hearing.

"She's not coming?" She heard Jon ask.

"I'm sure she will," Melody said. "She's just not very trusting of people."

"Yeah, I picked up on that as well," Jon said. "I hope she doesn't turn on us."

"Don't say things like that," Melody said. "She's just a child. I'm sure she's a long way from home. It's clear she's been on her own for quiet a long while. I've seen that look in her eyes before. I would know that better than anyone how she feels."

"I know, honey," Jon said. "I'm sorry."

"What look?" Eira asked herself. She refocused her eyes and stared at herself in the window. "What was she talking about? How could she possibly know what I'm going through? She doesn't know me at all. Stupid humans. Think they know everything when they don't know a blasted thing."

Eira released a huff of annoyance. She tried to focus her attention back out at the storm. As pointless as it was, she tried to will the storm to go away. She wanted out of this place. And she wanted food. But she was stuck here. And stuck with such yummy smells coming from the next room. Her stomach released a painful growl. _Why did they have to cook fish? Did they some how guess that was my favorite and decided to torture me with the smell to lead me into a false sense of security? Well, they got another thing coming if they think I'm going to fall for that. I'm not stupid._

Her stomach growled in protest to her thoughts. She dropped her forehead back against the window when her stomach continued to growl, almost in sync with the storm outside. The smells of the freshly cooked food seemed to grow even more noticeable. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if the smells were really getting stronger. Either way it annoyed her to the point she caved. Mumbling under her breath, she sauntered towards the room Jon and Melody were in. She paused at the door, leaning against the frame, she ran her eyes around the room. It was of decent size with about three feet around the long rectangular table for people to walk. The table itself looked to be able to hold at least twenty people and looked like it was rather old. Its legs had beautiful carvings of the ships sailing the seas, several different types of fish, dolphins, and whales decorating it. Potted lavender plants decorated all for corners of the room just like the reception room. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but the lavender scent was starting to make her feel relaxed. She didn't like that. She needed to be on guard.

"I see you decided to join us," Jon said.

Eira brought her eyes to the table again. The couple was sitting at the far end of the table from where she was standing. Jon was sitting at the head of the table while Melody was sitting on his right side. Behind the man was another door that she could easily see led to the kitchen. Beside the woman were a fresh plate, bowl, fork, spoon, and glass sitting on a lace trimmed placemat. She knew it was for her. Still, she didn't move towards it. She just continued to carefully observe the two people she was with. She also wondered why other guests weren't down here but figured the possibility that this room wasn't for guest use. Or perhaps the other guests have already eaten or were outside of the hotel.

"Please, come join us," Melody beckoned. "We have baked fish, mash potatoes, green beans, crackers, and homemade tomato soup. If you don't like that, I can get you something to else. I'm not the best cook in the world, but please do enjoy it."

"Nonsense," Jon said. "You're a wonderful cook."

"You know it's taken me years to figure out the craft of cooking," Melody said. "I'm still not that good. I have improved a little. So I apologize if you don't like it."

"It's fine," Eira said. She forced herself to push off the doorframe and walk farther into the room. Carefully, she sniffed around for possible attacks. But no one else was in the room she could see that. She didn't even detect any other scents beside these two having been in here at all. So maybe guests really didn't use this room. She relaxed a tiny bit by the time she got two chairs down from Melody. She eyed the plate on the table before sitting down one chair over from the plate. She pulled the plate and bowl, utensils, and glass towards her while watching the man and woman. They did nothing but politely smile at her and pushed the food closer to her. Seeing and sensing no threat from them, she started to fill her bowl and plate.

"Would you like some tea or water?" Jon asked.

"Water's fine," Eira said. Her muscles tensed up when Melody pushed a light green pitcher towards her. Laying down the spatula back on the fish dish, she picked up the pitcher and filled her glass before setting it back down on the table. One last look at the two, she turned her attention to the food in front of her. It took all of herself control to not hum out loud when the spices from the fish danced over her tongue. This was way better than anything she had ever cooked before. Before she knew it she found herself lost in the company of these two calming talking about their day and what they had planned for tomorrow. The couple ultimately started talking about their baby. And she found herself speaking up. "So when are you due?"

"Next month," Melody replied, rubbing her hand affectionately over her rounded stomach. "But I've been having a few minor issues that might cause this little one to come earlier. Are you interest in having children?"

"Heck no," Eira replied. "I have no intentions of ever being around kids or having them. They're too annoying."

"I suppose they do have their moments," Melody said. "But they also can bring you great joy. I'm sure your mother and father has had some great times with you."

Eira slammed her fist on the table, rattling the dishes. She hissed, "I don't have parents."

"I'm sorry," Melody said. "I didn't mean to make assumptions."

Eira turned her glaring eyes to the woman with the intent to tell her to just shut up. But the soft gaze in her soft green eyes forced the words back down her throat. She knew the woman didn't mean anything by what she said. After all, this man and woman didn't know what her past was like. "No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just…a bit sensitive about my past."

"It's all right." Melody smiled. "My past isn't all that special either."

Eira found herself opening her mouth to asked about this woman's past. It caught her by surprise. Usually she never got the notion to ask about anyone's past. She quickly shut it. She didn't care. She didn't want to know. She wasn't going to be here for very long. There was no point in speaking at all with these people. She locked her eyes onto what was left on her plate and started to finish it. "The food's good. Thanks for the meal."

"You're very welcome," Melody said.

Eira didn't rely after that. She didn't even look up to see the shared smile passing between the husband and wife. She just kept her attention on what was left of her meal and finished it. Once she was done, she quickly got up and left the room. Resuming her stare out the window while she secretly listened in on Melody and Jon.

"That was a bit intense," Jon said between the rattling of dishes.

"True," Melody said. "But I think she knows we're not going to hurt her. I really think she wants to talk. She's just been on her own for a long time. She's use to being independent."

"She's like you in a lot of ways," Jon said.

"She sure is," Melody said before the sounds of dishes clanking replaced their voices completely.

Eira sighed and turned her attention back out the window. Despite not wanting to, she was starting to wonder what exactly they were talking about. There was no possible way this woman could have had a past like hers. No one had a past like hers. It just wasn't possible for them to unless they were born like she was. All of these thoughts about the past were starting to make her fidget. She didn't like it here. She didn't like the way this couple made her feel. She's only known them for just a few hours and they've made her feel so comfortable already. She hated it. She couldn't trust anyone no matter how innocent they might look. Besides, she was on a mission here. She didn't need to get distracted by people that might truly be nice. Still her eyes wondered back to the room where the couple had been. She didn't hear them in there anymore so she assumed they had moved into the kitchen where she couldn't hear them.

Turning her eyes back to the window, she noticed there was a break in the storm. The clouds parted and she took the opportunity to escape from this place before the couple could come back out. Jumping up from the bench, she bolted for the door and didn't look back. She had to find herself a private place to stay before another storm hit the island and blocked off her search again, unless she was able to find a ship that was leaving soon. Her feet hit the ground with a sloshy splash. The air was fill with the smell of rain. She glanced around the empty streets before heading towards the nearest bar. Most likely, if she were going to find a ship leaving soon it would be there. Happy chatter, singing, happy dancing, and the smell of booze mixed with plenty of unwashed bodies was the first thing to greet her sensitive senses even before she reached the door of the tavern. She wasn't going to enjoy hanging out in a place like this, but she had no choice. Reaching the plain building with dark red trimming, she entered. Only a few people gave her a glance before going back to their own conversations. The room was full. Obviously a lot of people headed for this place when the storm hit. Twitching her nose in annoyance at the smells, she wondered through the room and sat down at an empty table. She glanced at the door to give the impression she was waiting for someone. She then settled into her chair and listened carefully to the chatter around her in hopes someone was leaving this island soon.

…

Law was waiting for his missing subordinates and lover just on the outside of town. He was leaning against the edge of a building, tapping his finger nervously on his sword. It was several minutes passed the time Neo had said she and the others would have been back. He knew she wasn't in any trouble since he felt she was fine, but he was still worried. He lifted his eyes to the sky when he felt Neo coming closer to him. His body completely relaxed by the time she had landed with the other three with her.

Neo smiled at him when she sensed his worry. "You were worried."

"I was," Law admitted. "I knew you were fine since you didn't contact me. But what happened? I did sense you getting a little stressed out."

"We ran into a little trouble," Neo said.

"These two little kids were being picked on by some pirates," Penguin added.

"We helped them escape then met their older brother," Bepo said. "He's a cook. He invited our entire crew to his family restaurant for dinner tonight."

"You met a cook?" Law's eyebrows lifted on his forehead.

"Yeah. Odd coincidence, huh?" Neo said.

"What's odd was Neo liked him more than anyone else she's met," Penguin said.

"Hey!" Neo protested.

"What? There's no point in hiding the truth from the captain." Penguin shrugged with a playful smirk. "You were going to tell him anyway. You're too honest with him not to."

Neo grumbled when her cheeks burned. "Fine. I did, kind of, sort of, like him. I could tell he's a good man. But that doesn't mean I'll like him cooking for my babies."

"We should at least check him out," Law said.

"I know," Neo replied. "Did you find anyone else while we were gone?"

"Not really," Law said. "There are a few places, but one's a woman, one's far too young and controlling to ever serve under a captain, and another is an old man that can barely move."

"I see," Neo said.

"The rest of the crew is waiting for us at the Silver Tavern," Law said. "We're having lunch there."

"Great!" Penguin exclaimed. "I worked up an appetite!"

"Let's get going then," Bepo said, taking the lead back into town.

Neo started to follow them. She was stopped when Law's sword crossed in front of her. She blinked down at it before he drew her closer to him with it. She glanced up at him just in time to receive his lips on hers.

"Are you really okay with checking that guy out that you met?" Law asked.

"Yeah," Neo said. "I really did get the feeling he was a good guy. I at least want to see what he's capable of in preparing food. That's what we came here for after all."

"All right," Law said. He cupped her cheek, intent on kissing her again, but was stopped when Little Law started barking and jumping up and down against his leg. "Rotten little mutt."

"I'm telling you, he likes you," Neo said, struggling not to giggle. "He's a lot like you too."

"That mutt is not like me at all," Law said feign being offended.

"You are too," Neo insisted. "You share the same hairstyle."

"It's coincident."

"You both love me."

"He's an animal. They all love you. _I'm_ _in love_ with you."

"You both love kissing me."

" _I_ kiss you. _He_ licks you."

"You lick me more often than he does." She smirked at him.

Law growled. She was easily winning this argument.

"Just admit it," Neo said, poking Law in the chest. "You two are just alike."

"Not exactly," Law said.

"Oh?" Neo lifted an eyebrow at him. "And how is that?"

"Yes." Law wrapped his arm around her, pulling her stomach flat against his own body while he leaned down to peer into her eyes. He smiled when he felt her shiver under his intense look. "He can't make you feel like this. I'm the only living being that can. And he can't do this…" He placed his hot lips on directly on her soft spot and sucked tantalizingly hard on her.

Neo gasped. Her body tingled as she gripped onto his jacket in hopes that her legs wouldn't give out on her. She arched farther into him when he sucked a few more times on her sensitive neck. Her body reacted naturally to him. She tilted her head, giving him far better access to her flesh. She wanted more. She needed more. But both knew they couldn't do anymore. They were captain and subordinate here, not lovers. "I hope we can get a cook and get out of here soon. I hate this. I hate not being able to kiss you whenever I feel like it."

"I know you do, love," Law said. He pulled back from her with a sigh. "But it won't be long before we're back on the sub. And we have plenty of time later today when we get back to the room."

"We can pick this up then?" Neo said. She fiddled with his shirttail and looked up at him with hopeful eyes.

"Of course we can," Law said. "Let's catch up with the crew before someone spots us out here."

"All right," Neo said. She snapped her fingers and the pup came running over from the area he was sniffing. "Come on, Little Law."

"Do you really have to call him that?" Law asked as the three headed back into the town.

"Of course I do," Neo said. "He looks just like you. How could I possibly call him anything else?"

"You're going to pay for this later," Law said. He forced down the urge to throw her over his shoulder again as a couple women walked passed them.

"I'm so sure I will." Neo smirked.

"You just wait and see," Law said.

…

"There you two are," Topaz said when they finally reached the tavern where the Heart Pirates were gathering. "We were starting to wonder if we were going to have to come find you two."

"We got a little distracted with talking." Neo ran her eyes over the crew to make sure they all were there. She smiled when she found they were all accounted for. "I hope you all are behaving yourselves."

"We are," the crew mumbled.

"Sure you were busy talking." Penguin snickered.

Neo wrinkled her nose at him and tapped her toes on his shin. "Hush. Or I'll sick both Laws on you."

Penguin chuckled at her threat.

"And now we are starving," Shachi said. He clapped his hands together then rubbed them as if he was warming them. "Let's eat."

"Yeah." Neo nodded. With her and Law in the lead, they all entered into the tavern. There were several other people filling up the round tables, but the found a couple tables that were unoccupied and together in the corner. So they headed right over them to claim them before someone else did. With practice precision she took the seat that was near the corner of the room and a window while the rest of the crew, who chose to sit with her, casually took their own seats and shifted them in certain ways that allowed their captain and Neo to secretly hold hands if they wanted too. It was also so she wouldn't get accidently touched by someone passing by their table. This also gave her plenty of room to fly out of the room if she felt the need to.

Just after they sat down, a tall woman with long rich brown hair walked over to them. Her dark green eyes landed on and lingered on Law far too long for Neo's comfort. The waitress smiled and asked, "What can I get for ya'll?"

Neo clenched her hands in her lap. She had to force her strong desire to flash her silver engagement ring to the woman. But she didn't. She just kept her hands and her eyes on her lap, waiting patiently for Law to handle this. At her feet, Little Law was licking her feet in an attempt to help calm her down. She managed a small smile for the little dog when he looked at her with his brown eyes.

"We'll both have the special of the day," Law said, purposefully avoiding eye contact with the woman. He pointed to himself and Neo when he spoke. "I'll have a beer to drink and she'll have sweetened tea if it's not too sweet."

"Very well," the waitress said. The disappointment in her eyes made it clear to them all that she quickly picked up on the fact that he wasn't interested in her. The rest of the Heart Pirates quickly gave her their orders, a few earning some flirtation looks from the woman before she wondered off.

"Well, at least she's good at picking up on cues when she's not wanted," Topaz said.

"Why can't every woman be like that?" Neo murmured in annoyance before Law's hand found its way to hers. _'I'm sorry. I got jealous again.'_

' _Don't apologize for that. It just happens. I get jealous when guys try to hit on you or even look at you'_

' _I know, but you get hit on more often because the crew doesn't put up a shield around you like they do me. Plus with your status as a Warlord now no one really comes that close to us anymore.'_

' _And that's a good thing. Just remember I'm yours. And I'm always going to return home to you and no one else.'_

' _Yeah.'_ Neo nodded lightly.

' _Let's go back to the room for a while after this.'_

' _Really?'_ Neo's heart pounded wildly in her chest, all the jealousy inside of her vanished at the prospect of spending some alone time with Law.

' _Really.'_ Law sent her a mental image of his smile. _'Or did you have something else planned for this afternoon?'_

' _No. I have no plans other than being with you.'_

' _Good. It's settled then.'_

"So what are do you all have planned for the rest of the day?" Neo asked, turning her attention back to the rest of the crew who easily picked up on the fact she and Law were having a private conversation.

"There's a poker game going on later today," Shachi said. "It's being held at this bar. So we're going to hang out here for a while."

A few crewmembers mumbled off their agreements with Shachi while a few others mentioned that they were going to find a place to spar with each other while a couple mentioned some female companionship. Neo chose to ignore that last one so she wouldn't think about it.

"I think I'm going to head back to the hotel for a while," Topaz said. "Would you can to join me, Neo? We could hang out for a while and play cards. The captain can even join us unless he prefers to hang out with the boys instead."

"As much fun as hanging out with the crew to gamble away my hard earned money," Law said, causing the crew to snicker since the majority of their money came from stolen treasure, "I think I'll be heading back to the hotel for a while. I might take a nap."

"Aw, Captain," Shachi said, playing it up to make it sound like he was really disappointed despite easily known his captain's true agenda to spend time with Neo as they all knew. "You need to learn to have more fun."

"Maybe next time," Law said casually.

"It's too bad you're not going to come later," the waitress said upon her return. She was balancing four plates on her hands and arms. She tossed them up into the air and managed to get them to land safely on the table in their correct spots. "I'm going to be preforming during the game."

"That's nice," Law said in a bored tone. He easily guessed what she was talking about by _preforming._

"Well, it's your loss," she said as she walked away to get the rest of the group's food, her hips swinging.

"Preform?" Neo asked.

"I love your innocence," Penguin said.

"It's so cute," Shachi added.

"Oh," Neo drawled when she realized what they were talking about, her cheeks tinted pink. She narrowed her eyebrows at Law. _'You knew, didn't you?'_

' _I did. I heard a couple guys talking about that woman while I was out looking for a cook. So I knew ahead of time to steer clear of her.'_

' _Could have steered clear of her for lunch.'_

' _Sorry, love. The crew really wanted to eat here.'_

' _They're really starting to like this place.'_ Neo frowned.

' _Don't worry, love. You'll always be their favorite cook. They're just wanting something a little different while we're on an island.'_

' _I understand. It's good to have some difference in your diet.'_

' _That's my girl.'_

The crew then settled down after that. They all enjoyed their hot lunch while idly talking about whatever popped into their minds. Neo occasionally snuck food off her own plate, and others, to feed Little Law who was more than happy to receive the food gifts. Each time she slipped her hand under the table, Law would give her a pointed look, and she would return it with an innocent one. Each time, she won. Silently they both wondered why Law even bothered with the looks, especially since he kept _giving_ her food for the dog. Soon everyone had finished eating and started breaking off to go their separate ways.

The three Heart Pirates, consisting of Neo, Law, Topaz, and Little Law, all wondered back to the hotel at a slow pace just enjoying each other's company and the warm sun above them. Law casually looked around while the girls talked and Little Law scampered around to bark or sniff at whatever he felt like. Soon they reached the hotel. The cooler air from the fans blowing around the lobby hotel quickly replaced the warm air greeted their toasted skin once they stepped inside. The man behind the registration counter didn't bother looking up at them as his eyes continued to roam lazily over the newspaper in front of him.

They continued on passed him and up the stairs. Neo was glad the woman wasn't working today. She hoped the woman didn't return as long as they were there. With one last lingering look at each other, Neo and Law entered into their rooms. The doors clicked behind them, separating them for the time being. She rushed over to the wall where she always waited for him to warp her to his room.

"You're so impatient when it comes to him," Topaz said. She flopped down on the bed, on her stomach, propping her chin up in her hands. "You're so in love with him."

"I know," Neo said with a bright smile. "It's really pathetic, isn't it? You're not upset with me for leaving you, are you?"

"Not at all," Topaz said. "We have plenty of time together. I need a nap anyway. I'm starting to get a headache."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Neo said, her eyes filling with concern. She summoned her solar crystal and hovered it near Topaz. "Would you like me to heal you?"

"No, all I need is a nap," Topaz said.

"All right. But if the nap doesn't help, tell me and I'll heal you," Neo said.

"I'll tell you," Topaz said. "I promise."

Just then Law's Room flowed over the room. Neo waved to Topaz just before disappearing from her sight. Little Law barked and whined when Neo vanished. Running up to the wall, he started jumping up and down and scratching on it while his barking and whining grew. Topaz shook her head. "You poor baby. Neo and the captain need time alone."

Little Law looked back at her like he was saying that was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. It caused her to laugh. "I'm sorry. But it's true. They need time alone. Even from a cute little thing like you. I'm still here though. Why don't you get up here and take a nap with me? You'll see Neo later."

Giving the wall one last forlorn look, Little Law sulked away from the wall and jumped upon the bed. Releasing a huff of annoyance, he curled up next to Topaz's side and closed his eyes. Topaz chuckled at the dog's actions before relaxing into the bed and closing her own eyes with a sigh.

...

"Law," Neo said upon hearing her dog whining for her. She stared at the wall before looking over at Law. Her darling lover was standing beside the bed, dropping his hat onto the nightstand, and propping his sword up against the wall. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Yes, I did," he replied. He sat down on the bed before warping Neo onto his lap. "I told you I wanted to be with you and you alone. We can't have privacy if that mutt is going to keep interrupting us."

"I suppose you're correct," Neo said.

"I know I'm correct," Law said. He pressed a kiss to the base of her neck, earning a small hum of enjoyment from her. "He'll be fine without you for a couple hours. Topaz is watching him." He placed slow, gentle kisses up her neck while he spoke to her. "So now you're going to pay attention to _me_ and _only_ me. That's an _order_ , _little girl_."

"Mmm." Neo hummed. "And I would never, ever, thing about disobeying an order from my captain."

Law chuckled. Both knew that wasn't true. She has disobeyed his orders before. Bepo was in trouble. And she made the call to stay and help him escape instead of leaving like Law wanted her too. It turned out to be the correct decision. And it was the first time she had ever disobeyed an order from him. Neither of them liked it, but she was becoming more of her own person at the time. It was something she had to do. And Law raised her to make her own decisions. So she did. It was a lesson and a choice both of them needed.

But in the moment, this was an order she wasn't even going to think of disobeying. Instead, she turned towards him and took the lead. Pressing several light kisses onto his lips indicated she wanted French Kisses. Law happily parted his lips for her. And he easily and willingly allowed her to have the lead. Slowly she tangled their hot tongues in a heated dance of pure bliss.

Five hours later, the two lovers finally pulled themselves away from each other. They shared one last kiss before Law warped her back into Topaz's room. Once she saw the fire Elemental lying on the bed and flipping through a magazine with Little Law curled up with her, she said, "Hey. How was your nap? Is your headache gone?"

"Yes." Topaz nodded. "Told you all I needed was a nap. It felt so good to. Me and Little Law here snuggled the entire time."

"That's good," Neo said, glancing down at the sleeping dog. "I'm glad you two enjoyed each other's company."

"We sure did." Topaz closed her magazine and sat up, causing Little Law to wake up. The puppy yawned and stretched out before jumping into Neo's arms. "I take it we're heading out to that guy's restaurant now?"

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "The rest of the crew is suppose to met us there in a few minutes. I hope they don't get too lost in their poker game to realize what time it is."

"Don't worry about that," Topaz said. "They know to watch the clock."

"You're correct," Neo said just before a knock came on their door. "Coming."

Topaz stood up from the bed. The two women walked over to the door and opened it. Sure enough, there stood Law acting like the dutiful captain he was just as three other hotel guests passed by. He said, "You all ready to go? The rest of the crew will be waiting for us."

"We're ready, Captain," Neo said.

"Just let me grab my key," Topaz said. She reached over to the dresser and grabbed the key that was laying on it. Once they both were out in the hall, she closed the door and locked it. They then traveled through the quiet hotel.

Once outside, Little Law jumped from Neo's arms. He ran over to a patch of grass for his own little break before running to catch up with the pirates. Trudging along through the town, Law suddenly stopped when he got a bad feeling that someone was watching them. He turned around and slowly ran his eyes over everything and everyone. But everything looked normal to him. No one appeared to be watching them, no one appeared to be following them, and everyone was just going on about their business like any other day.

"L-Captain, what is it?" Neo asked, alarmed at the tension she felt coming from Law.

"Nothing," Law said. He shifted his sword on his shoulder before stepping up to rejoin the two women. Lowering his voice, he added, "I just thought I felt someone watching us."

"Who would be watching us?" Topaz asked. She ran her own eyes over the people around them, cautiously and casually taking them in. "We haven't ran into any pirates who want to take us on."

"Do you think it might have been those pirates Penguin, Bepo, and I fought with earlier today?" Neo asked.

"Possibly," Law said. "You three did stop them. So they could be out looking for revenge. We're going to have to be careful. Most likely they're not going to be strong enough to take us down, but still keep on guard. And, Neo, stay close to the crew."

"Aye, Captain," Neo said. The three pirates continued on their way, carefully scanning the area for possibly threats. Ten minutes later, the feeling of being watched was completely gone and they relaxed just in time to gather with their crew at B's Family Grill. Only half of their crew was still there, but fifteen minutes later the rest of the crew came running up to them. Finally together, the Heart Pirates entered into the restaurant. A strong wave of barbecue sauce hit them upon entering. It made all of their mouths water and their stomachs growl.

"It smells so good in here," Conner said while sniffing the air.

"I wonder what kind of BBQ sauce they have here," Archer said.

"You always ask that," Conner said. "I'm surprised you don't bleed barbeque sauce. And can't you say barbeque sauce? Must you always say BBQ?"

"What's wrong with saying that?" Archer asked.

"It's annoying," Conner replied.

"Not as annoying as you when you-"

"Enough," Law said, cutting Archer off. "We're not here to argue over words."

"Aye, Captain," the two men said.

"I think they use all home grown ingredients," Neo said.

"I believe you're correct," Topaz said. "The spices in here are too strong to have come from the store. They're really fresh."

They all looked around, wondering if they should find a table and sit on their own or if they should look for Basil. Before they could decide, Bethany and Belinda ran over to them with big smiles. Bethany said, "You're here!"

"You're here!" Belinda echoed. She grabbed onto the bear's leg. Her deep blue eyes sparkled affectionately at him. "Bepo!"

"Yes, hello again," Bepo said with a smile. The crew chuckled at the little girl's affection for the bear, but he just ignored it.

"She's so cute," Shachi said.

"Cute and very rude," Bethany said. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed in annoyance at her little sister. "Sorry. She can be clingy when it comes to animals."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Shachi said, elbowing Neo in the arm. "Neo here can be just as clingy when it comes to animals."

"Hey," Neo protested.

"Don't bother trying to deny it," Tero said. "You're as animal crazy as they come."

Neo huffed. But it was true. She really did love her animals, all animals.

"That's great to hear!" Bethany said, clapping her hands together happily. "We own a farm! And we always are helping out injured animals!"

"You have a farm?" Neo asked, her cheeks and eyes lighting up with delight.

"Oh, no," Tero grumbled, rolling his head back. "We've lost her now."

"We sure do," Basil then said. Everyone's eyes lifted up to the burly man. "You all should come and check it out before you leave here. If Neo's as animal crazy as she sounds, she'll love it there. Our mother and our oldest sister are very good with animals. They take care of a lot of animals there while we're here."

"L-C-Captain, can we go?" Neo turned her pleading eyes to Law, making him instantly flinch. "Can we? Please?"

"All right," Law said knowing there was no point in arguing the matter. "We'll check it out before we leave this island."

"Yes!" Neo squealed.

"She's so charming." Basil laughed causing Neo to blush, duck her head, and tuck herself behind Law. "And shy."

"Yeah, she needs a little time to get use to new people," Penguin said. He reached out and rubbed Neo's back, releasing the tension from her body.

"All right," Basil said. He waved at them. "Follow me." Silently the crew followed the man farther into the room. He guided them over to a corner table that was several tables lined up and covered in red and white checked table clothes. "Here you go. Specially reserved for you."

"And with the correct number of seats," Tero noted. "How did you know?"

"Our brother, Branson, loves pirates," Bethany said. "He's always keeping an eye on them in the newspapers. He really loves the Warlords. If he weren't helping Mama today he would be in here pestering you all for autographs. He'll surely do that if he sees you at our farm later."

"Bethany, Belinda, Basil, Branson," Penguin said. "Is it just my imagination or does all of your names start with B?"

"You are correct," Basil said. "Our family has a weird obsession with naming their kids with names starting with B. That's why this place is called B's Family Grill. Feel free to order anything you wish. It's all on the house."

"That's not necessary," Law said.

"Of course it is," Basil said. He nodded his head in Neo, Penguin, and Bepo's direction. "Your three subordinates there saved my little sisters. My family is very grateful for that. Who knows what those pirates would have done to them before I arrived?"

"Yeah! You saved us! You eat for free!" Belinda squealed from Bepo's lap. She placed her small hands on Bepo's cheeks, gently petting him, and earning a blush and smile of enjoyment from him.

"Looks like someone has a favorite Heart Pirate," Shachi said.

"It sure does," Penguin added.

"We better be careful," Archer said, eyeing Bepo's enjoyment of the little girl on his lap. "The feeling is clearly mutual."

"Yeah, we might lose our navigator to this little cutie," Conner said.

"She can't have him," Neo said stiffly. The entire crew flinched at her intense glare and frown. A low rumble of thunder boomed outside causing the pirates to tense up.

"That's odd," Basil said, looking out the window at the dark clouds rolling in. "It was suppose to be sunny all day."

"Bepo's _my_ mink," Neo all but hissed.

"Of course she's not going to keep Bepo," Law said, discretely placing his hand on her knee to calm her down. "She's just admiring him. There's no need for you to get upset."

"That's correct, Neo," Bepo said. "I'm not leaving the crew."

"I'm sorry." Neo lowered her chin. Her storm vanished, leaving people inside of the restaurant confused but they quickly went back to their meals and talking.

Basil hummed. "I see. She's very fond of you all. More than other pirates would be, correct?"

"Yeah," Conner said. "She can get a bit possessive of us, especially when she thinks someone is trying to take us away from her."

"She can be a bit defensive in that area, but she's very loyal once you gain her respect and trust," Archer said.

"I see. So she's the type who needs to gain trust," Basil said. "I'll keep that in mind for the future."

"So my men say that you're a cook," Law said, bringing everyone's attention off Neo.

"Guilty as sin," Basil said.

"Are you planning on taking over the restaurant?" Penguin asked

"I would love to, but no. My older brothers will be taking over when our dad steps down," Basil said.

"How many siblings do you have?" Shachi asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Don't mind at all," Basil said. "There's a totally of fourteen of us."

"There are fourteen of you?" Conner gasped.

"He just said that," Archer said.

"Shut up," Conner said with a glare. "It's still shocking. Are they all biological?"  
"I guess you all haven't been here long enough to hear people talk about our family. We sure are," Basil said. "And we all have the same hair and eye color."

"Now that you mention it," Penguin said. He eyes the two little girls. Belinda was still sitting on Bepo's lap while Bethany was kneeling on the floor with Little Law, scratching his stomach. "You all do look a like."

"Our family has lived here for generations," Basil said. "The farm, this restaurant, has been passed down from generation to generation."

"So you wouldn't even think about leaving?" Topaz asked.

"Never really put much thought into it, ma'am," Basil said. "While I do love to cook, I suppose if the opportunity presented itself to leave here I'd consider it. Just as long as I'm allow to keep cooking." He then pulled out a small notebook from his pocket. "Shall we get down to your drinks? I'm sure you all are fairly hungry by now."

"I'll get the puppy some water," Bethany said. She stood up and looked at Neo with a friendly smile. "That is, if it's okay with you. I know this guy belongs to you. I've seen him following you everywhere on the island."

"Uh, yeah, it's fine," Neo said. "He's thirsty."

"I'll be right back with that then," Bethany said before skipping off.

When Neo turned her eyes back to the crew, they all had already given their drink orders to Basil, he went to put them in, and were staring at their menus. Picking up her own menu, she opened it and glanced at what they had. She was surprised to see a huge variety of food on their menu. And at the top of the menu were words that read: Farm Fresh Ingredients.

"So what do you think?" Penguin then asked. "Think he'll fit in with the crew?"

"We don't even know if he'd join a pirate crew," Conner said.

"Stop being so pessimistic," Archer said. "He might. Penguin said earlier that he's descended from a pirate."

"I'm not being pessimistic. I was stating a fact. Being descended from a pirate doesn't mean he'll want to become a pirate," Conner said.

"We just have to ask him," Archer said.

"First we have to know if he's good enough to feed my babies," Neo grumbled. "While we believe the food here is fresh and home grown it doesn't mean he's qualified to take care of you all."

"We'll just have to asked him," Jean Bart said. "But I think we should give it a little more time before we ask him to join the crew. He's not like it was with the rest of us. He clearly doesn't have the desire to immediately pack up his bags and hit the high seas. And he's also very much a family oriented man. Despite saying he'd consider leaving home doesn't mean he'll be that willing to leave his family if the time comes."

"Leave it to Jean Bart to point that out," Tero said. "He's been on the sea longer than we have."

"You have a point," Archer said. He crossed his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. "Still that BBQ sauce smells so good. I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

"Quit drooling and just order yourself a barrel of the _barbecue_ sauce," Conner said.

"I just might do that," Archer said. He dropped his eyes in the direction Basil walked off from them. "I wonder if they do that for me."

"You're so obsessed with barbecue sauce," Conner said while letting his face drop into the palm of his hand.

Law watched the antics of his crew before letting his eyes wander casually to Neo. Despite the fact she was staring down at her menu, he could easily tell that she was thinking about Basil. He wanted to know what she was thinking in the moment, but refused to let himself look into her mind. He wanted to give her time and space to consider this new man as a real possibility. And with how she picked him out on her own, he knew this man stood a real good chance at becoming their second cook. All they had to do now was test his food and get to know him a bit more.

…

Eira mentally grumbled at the news she had received while sitting in the bar. No one was leaving the island tonight and probably wouldn't for a few days. The storm that had passed through earlier today had caused some damaged to all of the ships at the docks. She was stuck here unless someone else happened to come to the island before these ships were fixed.

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" the waitress asked.

"No, I'm leaving." Eira almost hissed out of annoyance of being stuck here. Without looking at the woman, she stood up and hurried out of the bar. Back outside she found that the air was now humid and damp. Not one of her most favorite weather conditions. She typically preferred cold and dry to humid and damp ones. But there was nothing she could do about the weather itself. All she could do was cool herself off with her ice abilities and move on. And she did. After sending a refreshing blast of cool air over her skin, she took off in a fast run. Weaving in and out of people until she was out of the small town, she bolted for the forest. It felt good for her to be running again instead of being cooped up in that silly bar listening to born conversations about where people had been, about how the men thought the women in the town was sexy beyond all beliefs, and other such conversations.

She paused when she entered into the forest. The leaves were still damp from the recent rain and it made the area cool. She loved it. It wasn't as cold as back home, but it would do. She slowed her anxious run into a more leisure one as she scooped out the landscape for a suitable, temporary housing. After about an hour of looking into caves, giant holes in trees, she plopped down onto the ground with an annoyed growl. Nothing she found would be suitable to withstand the weather this island had. "So annoying!"

Eira fell back on the ground. Her arms and legs sprawled out as she stared up at the canopy of the trees. Her rumbling stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten since lunch. "Stupid. I should have stole some money from people at the bar and got some food before coming out here. Stupid. If I go back now and try to do that they're going to be more on guard with how quickly I left."

Eira laid there for several more minutes, debating her choices. One, she could remain out here in the wet forest with no food and slim chances of catching anything due to the type of island she was currently on. Or, two, she could go back to the hotel and take up Melody and Jon's offer. Thirty minutes later, and several annoying cricket chirped, she pushed herself to her feet and slowly trudged back to the hotel. Once outside the doors, she stared, angrily at them before forcing herself to finally go inside. The familiar smells of the lavender flowers seem to instantly calm her down. She didn't like it. It wasn't safe to get so comfortable in a strange place. Still, she scanned her eyes over the reception room and found Melody and Jon were sitting behind the reception counter playing a game of chess. They hadn't noticed she walked in. Swallowing her pride, she walked over to them.

"Oh, I was wondering if you were going to come back," Melody said with her friendly smile.

Eira shifted on her feet. _Don't get caught up in her friendly smile. You don't know her and she doesn't know you. Danger could be anywhere. You're only here for a place to stay and for food. That's it. You're not here to make friends. You have no friends. You are alone and you'll always be alone._

"Was there something you needed?" Jon asked when she didn't say anything.

Eira sucked in a sharp breath. It was now or never. She said, "Fine. I'll take you up on your offer. But I'm _not_ staying here and eating here for free. I'll do some work around this place to pay you back for your kindness. And that's not negotiable."

Melody and Jon exchanged looked before turning their eyes back to her. They smiled and Jon said, "Deal."

"Fine," Eira said. "What would you like me to do?"  
"For starters," Melody said. "How about you tell us your name?"

Eira swallowed. Her veins pounded hard in her body as she stared at these two complete strangers. She had to stomp down her desire to run away from this place. But she reminded herself she didn't have any other options. She couldn't stay outside in this crazy weather. Then her voice came out, very distance in her ears. She said it. She said, "Eira."


	5. Prowl P5

Prowl

Part Five

The soft sound of Eira's broom brushing across the porch was easily over taken by the sounds of children running around and screaming in enjoyment. She was starting to get sick of hearing them scream. She never could understand why some parents let their kids scream like that. They were supposed to be humans not monkeys. She knew it was natural for people to scream at certain things, but these kids were basically screaming bloody murder for no reason at all. And some of those kids' screams pierced right through her sensitive ears. It made her want to strangle them. But she knew she couldn't. She wanted to get noticed but not for murdering annoying little brats.

Finally done sweeping the dirt off the porch, Eira turned and headed back into the hotel lobby. A surprised shock for the woman she barely knew stabbed into her heart when she saw Melody was climb up a ladder that was under one of the light fixtures. She said, "What are you doing on that thing? I thought you were out back tending to the garden."

"I was out there a little while ago. Everything is fine and green. I was just climbing up here to wipe off the dust," Melody said, waving the dust rag she had in her hand. "You don't have to worry. I've done this many times. It's necessary to keep the dust off the lights. Don't want them to catch fire. Plus, it makes them look a lot nicer and lightens up the room more."

"You might have done this many times, but you haven't done this many times while pregnant," Eira said. She leaned the broom against the wall and walked over to Melody and the ladder. "I might not know a lot about kids, babies, and being pregnant, but I don't believe it's a good idea for a pregnant woman to climb up a ladder like that. Get down from there and I'll clean the lights."

"That's really not necessary," Melody said, descending the ladder.

"Yes, it is," Eira said firmly. "You really shouldn't be up there. Besides, I'm supposed to be working for you. This is my job for the time being."

"Very well then." Melody handed over the rag then stepped aside.

Eira took the rag then climbed up the ladder. Silently, she wiped down the light fixtures, clearing the dust off them. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance when she felt Melody staring at her. She couldn't help but look back down at the woman. "Am I doing something wrong?"  
"No, you're not. I apologize for staring," Melody said, her cheeks lightly pink. "I was just lost in thought. I was thinking about our baby and hoping that this little one is as helpful as you are. Your parents must be so proud of you." She pressed her fingers to her lips. "Oops! I'm sorry. I forgot you don't like to talk about that kind of stuff."

"It's fine," Eira said. "I know it's just natural for humans to be curious. And you're actually wrong. I don't really have parents. They're more like guardians. I don't, or didn't, really do things like this back _home_."

"You didn't?" Melody asked. "So, I assume you have maids and butlers?"  
"Yeah, something like that," Eira said. She wiped off the last light fixture and descended down the ladder. She paused for a moment, just staring out into space. _Why in the world did I just tell her all of that? It's not like me at all. Don't tell me I'm getting attached to this human. That's just ridiculous. I don't have time for friends or anything else._

"Eira, I know you don't want to talk about it, but if you ever do want to talk, I'll be more than willing to listen," Melody said. "I get the feeling I could relate to you."

"Maybe," Eira mumbled. She picked up the ladder and moved it under the next light fixture. She didn't look back down at Melody but she could easily feel and sense the woman had followed her. While she cleaned the lights, she got the feeling that Melody wanted to talk about her own past. And she had to admit, at least to herself, she was a bit curious to this woman's past from the tidbits she's over heard while staying here the past four days.

 _Including the day I arrived it's been five days since I've been here,_ she thought to herself. _I think that's really the longest I've ever stayed in one place, especially with other people around. Usually, I've run off by now. So what's making me stay here? Ships have come and gone. I could have easily slipped off by now, but I haven't. Why?_ She glanced around the room without moving her head. She really didn't know why she was still here. She had a mission that she needed to get back to. But, still, she found a small part of her didn't want to leave, at least not yet. And she knew, somehow, that it had to do with this woman beside her. Then, without any warning, she found her voice asking, "So what happened to you?"

"I was abused by my adopted parents," Melody said after a short pause. "My birth parents had died when I was really young. They were killed by pirates, you see."

Eira flinched at the mention of pirates. Anger boiled inside of her chest.

"Some marines were able to save me," Melody continued, unaware of Eira's flinching and anger. "They took me to an orphanage until I was adopted out to a family. They seemed nice at first, but then slowly I became to realize how dark they really were. They only appeared nice on the outside and when in public. But behind the walls of their house, they were horrible. They used me like a slave. They hated on me while doting heavily on their own biological son and daughter. I was basically starved, had to sleep on the floor, and worked constantly in their house. When I was thirteen I ran from them. The boy who was supposed to be my adopted brother wanted to do sexual things to me. I, somehow, was able to escape from him. I tried telling his parents what he did, but of course they didn't believe me. They always thought their perfect little angels could do no wrong. So I ran and never looked back. From that point on, I decided I wasn't going to trust anyone and only depend on myself. I survived by learning how to steal things I needed. I wasn't proud of what I was doing, but I had to survive. Then one day, when I was seventeen, I tried to steal a pie off this windowsill. It was Jon's parents' house. And it was actually Jon who caught me. He noticed how thin I was and let me keep the pie. I was so stunned and confused by his actions that I threw the pie back at him and ran off. For several more days, his actions stuck with me to the point I kept going back to his house just to get a glimpse of him. Eventually he caught me and I asked why he did what he did. He said he noticed that I really needed the food. It took a lot of time, but I slowly began to trust him after that. He had giving me something that I hadn't had since my birthparents died, love and understanding. And here we are. Now expecting a baby of our own and running our own business."

"I see," Eira said. _There are some similarities between our stories. She might be able to understand a little bit, but only a little. It doesn't mean I want to tell her everything about myself._ Still, she found herself saying, "My guardians weren't bad. They just weren't really _good_ either."

"What do you mean?" Melody asked carefully.

"They kind of took me in when I was really young," Eira said. "I was so young I don't really remember much about it. But, growing up, they didn't love me in any kind of way. They didn't hit me, or anything like that they just, they're just more into focusing on each other, I guess. They're all the time having sexual relations. They want a baby but haven't been able to conceive one."

"I see," Melody said, her voice filled with sadness. "It must be really hard on them since they can't conceive a child."

"I guess." Eira shrugged. "I never really paid much attention when they spoke about stuff like that."

"So why did you run?" Melody asked.

Eira didn't answer. She refocused on the light fixture, finished dusting it off, and then moved back down to the floor. Keeping her grasp on the ladder and her eyes on the floor, she had an internal struggled on actually answering that or not. It wasn't like her to talk to people so openly like this. It set her on edge. She really shouldn't be telling anyone about herself. Still, she found herself wanting to talk. She actually wanted to tell this woman about herself. "I'm…I'm looking for someone."

"And who might that be?" Melody asked.

Strained tension filled the space around them. The only sound was the ticking of the clock hanging on the wall behind the reception counter. Eira swallowed. Her heartbeat seemed to fall into sink with each tick of the clock. The noise pounded in her ears like a drum as she parted her lips. "I-"

"Honey, I'm home," Jon's voice said, cutting Eira off.

"Welcome home, dear," Melody said.

"Did I interrupt something?" Jon asked when he felt the odd tension in the room.

"No, it's nothing," Melody said. "We were just talking a little bit about my past."

"I see," Jon said with a smile. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It doesn't matter," Eira said. She picked up the ladder and moved it to the next light fixture that was at the top of the first flight of stairs. "We were done anyway. I still have cleaning I need to do. Is there anything else you'd like dusted while we have the ladder out?"

"Well, if you really don't mind," Melody said. "The tops of the picture frames probably could use a little dusting too."

"Consider it done," Eira said with a forced smile.

"Oh, yeah, before I forget," Jon then said. "Some pirates from the Bloodhound crew have been located a couple miles off shore. People are saying their captain's on board the ship."

"Oh dear," Melody said, placing her hand to her cheek.

"Is that really a problem?" Eira asked. "Considering you're on an island in the middle of the sea, pirates come here all the time, don't they? I've seen a lot in town since I've been here."

"That's true, but these particular pirates have been causing a lot of trouble around these parts lately," Jon said. "They're a pirate group of three ships. Their two division commanders have both been here within the past year. They've appeared at different times, but both times they've caused a lot of damage to the town and people."

"For what reason?" Eira asked.

"No one really knows," Melody said. "There are rumors going around that their captain is looking for someone. But no one knows for sure if this is true or not."

Eira knitted her eyebrows together. Something about that didn't sit right with her. It didn't make sense, for most pirates, to attack people and a town just because they were looking for someone. Of course, she hasn't seen or been around many pirates, but from those she had been around and those she's ready about in the newspapers, not many of them just outright attacked people like that. "Why are they called the Bloodhounds? Does the captain have a Bloodhound Devil Fruit or something?"

"I don't think any of their crewmembers have Devil Fruits," Jon said. "But I could be wrong. They're called that because their captain and several of his subordinates are really good at tracking down wanted people. Some often wonder why they're pirates instead of bounty hunters since they seem to do more bounty hunting instead of working to become a Warlord of the Sea, an Emperor, or King of the Pirates."

"I don't know much about pirates, but that just sounds odd," Eira said.

"I agree." Jon nodded.

"Yes, but it'll do no good worrying about them. How about I make some lemonade? I still have some lemons to use up and it does sound good," Melody said.

"It does sound good," Jon said. "How about it, Eira? You've been working since I left this morning. Why don't you take a break?"

"Well, I guess I could," Eira said. She looked at the light fixture she was cleaning before stepped back down the ladder. Folding the ladder up, she laid it down on the floor and against the wall so no one should be able to trip on it, then headed down the stairs.

…

"So many animals!" Neo squealed when her eyes raked over the farm before her. She and her crew were currently standing on a small hill that over looked the Basil's family farm, or ranch as the farm was a lot larger than they thought it was going to be. There were four houses in total. They all were spread out over the area they were looking at. It was clear that it gave the occupants enough distance to have privacy but also close enough to walk to each house within just a few minutes. The fields were not only lush with green grass, hay that was in the process of being cut, and wild flowers, but also had herds of cows, sheep, goats, and horses. And considering the sizes of some fields and smaller buildings, it was almost a hundred percent certain that the farm also had smaller farm animals such as chickens, ducks, pigs, and probably cats and dogs. She grabbed onto Law's arm. "We should have come here sooner! Why didn't you bring me here sooner?! You are so in the doghouse after this! I'm not going to cuddle or kiss you for the same amount of days you delayed in keeping me from here! Do you hear me?! That's four days we've known about this place! So it's four days of no kisses and cuddles for you!"

The crew snickered while Law just shook his head at the excitement his lover was showing, despite knowing it was going to happen anyway. Her threats were just empty ones. Both knew she couldn't go very long without kisses and cuddles from him. He wasn't in a hurry to bring her or the crew here anyway. He knew, and so did she, that she needed a little time to think about going to a stranger's house. For the past few days, they have been eating at B's Family Grill so Neo could see the family they were about to visit more. It also helped that the two little girls, Bethany and Belinda kept coming to visit the Heart Pirates. Bethany came mostly to check how Little Law was doing while Belinda came to see Bepo, Neo had gotten use to them being around and had accepted them a little more since then. So he thought it would be okay to finally bring the crew to Basil's family farm. And he knew he would only be in the doghouse until they got down to the animals. After that Neo would pretty much forget her animosity towards him for delaying this.

"Can we go down there? Please! Please, can we go down there now?!" Neo tugged on Law's arm like an impatient little child.

"All right," Law said. "I think you've done enough scoping this place out from a distance. We might as well head on down."

"Yes!" Neo squealed again. She hugged Law's arm, most of her empty threat already gone from her mind, before pulling him down the hill.

"You know," Conner said. "If it weren't for the captain we would have lost her a long time ago to the first animal we saw."

"I think you might be correct in that assumption," Shachi said.

"She does love her animals," Jean Bart added.

The wind shifted. Blowing up the smell of freshly cut hay to the pirates. Neo took in a deep breath of it. She said, "I love the smell of freshly cut hay. It's one of those smells that just screams summer."

"Yeah, but I also smell something that screams disgusting," Conner said just as the wind shifted. This time the wind carried the typically unwanted smell of barnyard dirt.

"I don't think it smells that bad," Neo said. "It just means there are a lot of animals around for me to play with."

"You would," Conner said with a light glare for the blue haired woman.

"What?" Neo asked, blinking in innocence.

"Ignore him, Neo," Penguin said. "Mr. Pessimistic just has a sensitive nose."

"I do not!" Conner snapped. "I just don't like smelling someone else's, be it human or animal, droppings!"

"Face it, Con, ol' buddy," Archer said, clamping his hand on his crewmate's shoulder. "You do have a sensitive nose. You run screaming from the room when the crew eats too many beans."

"That's justified. We have a rather large man on our crew here. With that comes some powerful stink," Conner said. He brushed Archer's hand off his shoulder then glanced up at Jean Bart. The large man's cheeks grew warm but the rest of his expression revealed he was actually proud of what he could accomplish with his bodily functions. "And you smaller men have released your fair share of bad smells."

"Hey! I've smelled you released plenty of gas!" Shachi shot back. "Don't blame us for all the stink!"

"You people are disgusting," Tero grumbled as he moved away from the group.

"I don't go around putting such actions on display!" Conner said. "You morons have contests to see who can _rip one the loudest_!"

"Well, I guess that's true," Shachi said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"We have gotten into a lot of those contests," Penguin said with a sheepish grin. "But it's just a natural part of our bodies. Everyone does it."

"But everyone doesn't get into contests over it," Conner said. "Nor do they get into spitting contests, belching contests, peeing contests-"

"Hey! There are ladies around!" Penguin said. "Watch what you say!"

"Huh?" Neo looked over her shoulder and back at the crew trailing after her and Law. "What are you all talking about?"

"Ignore them, Neo," Law said. He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her back towards the farm. "They're just having a little spat. Nothing for you to get concerned over."

"Oh, okay," Neo said, obediently turning her eyes back to their destination.

"It's not my fault!" Conner said. "At least you don't have your peeing contests around them!"

"All right! That's enough!" Topaz finally said. "I think we've had enough of that!"

"Yes, ma'am," the arguing crewmates said.

Law smiled when Topaz easily extinguish their little argument. Sometimes he wondered if they listened to her so well because she was like a sister to Neo or if it was because of her own Elemental abilities to use fire. He knew they respected her a lot, and it was probably a good mix of the two, but most of the time he couldn't help but lean more towards the fire option. Fire was a powerful tool. And most people had high respect for the dangerous element. Smart people knew better than to antagonize those who wielded the element of fire. Their argument would have come to an end away as they reached the end of the hill they were on. They then found themselves at the front gate of the farm. There wasn't an actual gate, but there was a wooden sign with the name of the farm and two thick poles holding it up on each side.

"So where are we suppose to go?" Neo asked. She ran her eyes over the land again. Down the worn road from this sign was a two story white house. It was the house closest to them, but she couldn't remember if that was the one they were suppose to go to or if it was one of the others.

"Basil said we're just suppose to go right down this road," Bepo said. He pointed at the white house Neo had been looking at. "He stays in that house. He said his aunts and uncles and cousins occupy the other houses. So this one is the main branch. He lives there with his dad, his mom, siblings, and his grandfather and grandmother. He doesn't work in the restaurant today either. So he should be here somewhere to greet us."

"You ready to go?" Law asked.

Neo nodded rapidly and reluctantly released his arm. She had forgotten she was supposed to be in subordinate mode while on this island. Excitingly, she bounced on her feet, pressing into the warm dirt under her skin. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"All right, all right," Law said, mentally chuckling at her through their bond.

"We better get her inside this place and quick before she busts a vein," Penguin said. He placed his hand on her back and guided her under the wooden sign. "Come on, you."

Law chuckled when all Neo did was nod excitingly. He started to follow after his crew, but paused when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and the feeling of being watched pounded in his senses. Slowly, he scanned his eyes over his surroundings. Carefully taking everything in, he noticed that there wasn't many placed here people could hide in. All the places that would make good hiding places were spread a part far from each other. It would be easy to see someone sneaking up on this place, unless they had the perfect camouflage and the ability to hid their scent from the animals. But this was the second time this had happened since being on the island.

 _'Law, is something wrong?'_ Neo called for him. _'You feel a little tense.'_

 _'I'm not sure. I just felt like we were being watched.'_ Law thought back to her before following after the crew. _'Do you feel anything in nature?'_

 _'Not really. There are several people running around this farm though. Perhaps one of them was watching us?'_

 _'I suppose it could have been just one of Basil's family.'_

 _'Do you want the crew to do a perimeter sweep?'_

 _'It's not necessary. You won't be wondering off by yourself and I'll still be close by.'_

 _'All right then.'_

Little Law's barking brought all of their attention to the two girls running down the road towards them with a small army of fifteen dogs following. Bethany, being the oldest, was ahead of Belinda. She ran right up to Little Law and immediately started to pet him. The dogs immediately gathered around Neo and Topaz, sniffing their scents wildly and giving them tons of licks much to Neo's delight.

"You're all so cute!" Neo squealed while she tried to pet all the dogs at once. It didn't work and she eventually fell back on her back, getting even more excited licks from the dogs.

Law just shook his head and sighed at the display of his lover being covered with dog slobber.

Belinda, on the other hand, ran past everyone and right into Bepo's open arms. She cried, "Bepo!"

"Belinda!" Bepo said. He lifted the girl into the air, swinging her around like she was a small airplane.

"Yippee!" Belinda squealed as she flew around in the air.

"She is going to be so disappointed when we have to leave this place," Shachi said, earning several nods of agreement from his crewmates.

"We were waiting for you all to get here," Bethany said. "We saw you all standing on the hill. Belinda wanted to come greet you, but our grandma told us to wait until you came down."

"You have to come see!" Belinda said. "We have lots of animals! I have lots of friends!"

"I bet you do," Bepo said, now holding her little girl in his arms like she was his precious baby doll that could easily break.

"Come! Let's go!" Belinda pointed towards the house. "Now!"

"Well, we better do as she says," Conner said. "Wouldn't want to upset her highness."

"Be nice," Archer said.

"I am being nice," Conner said. "We came here to check the farm out after all."

"Yes, come," Bethany said. She stood up and headed back down the rode while gesturing for the pirates to follow her.

And they did. Neo's eyes bounced everywhere with excitement. More excitement filled her heart and soul when the animals started noticing her and Topaz's inhuman nature. She so badly wanted to go talk to each and everyone. But she knew she had to be careful with that. Some talking with animals would be fine since most humans did it, but if she went too far in her conversations with the animals she could blow her secret or get people asking a lot of questions.

"Welcome," Basil's voice then said.

Neo forced her eyes away from the animals when she heard him. He was standing on the porch with an old woman rocking herself in a rocking chair. The old woman also had a needle and thread in her hand and appeared to be sewing something into a dishtowel. She drew in a slightly shaky breath.

"Glad you all could make it," Basil continued. "This is our grandma, Bonnie. Grandma, these are the pirates we told you about."

"Nice to meet you all," Bonnie said, the chair or the porch floor, creaked with each rock she did. She brushed a grey strand of hair from her face and looked at each one of the pirates individually. When her eyes landed on Neo, she paused for several seconds.

Neo flinched and jumped slightly when she saw the older woman's eyes on her. She ducked her head a little, shifting shyly, before finally lifting her eyes back to the woman's with a small smile. "Hi."

"So you're the one my grandson has told me about," Bonnie said.

"Huh?" Neo tilted her head a little.

"He told me you were really cute, but his description doesn't do you justice," Bonnie said.

That made Neo shifted uncomfortably. She had no idea what she should say here. She forced herself not to glance over at Law when she felt his jealously and annoyance bolt through him like a lightning bolt. "Uh, thanks?"

"She is shy," Bonnie said. Her eyes then flittered to Law.

Law forced all the jealousy out of him as quickly as he could when the old woman looked in his direction. He wasn't sure if she saw his jealously or not. He adverted his eyes to the world around them. "This is a nice place you have here. Though I'd have to say this is more of a ranch than an actual farm."

"You're correct, sir," Basil said. "I'm just in a habit of saying farm instead of ranch. Shall we get started on our tour?"

"Hm." Neo nodded, she started off nodding rapidly, but forced herself to slow down. "Yes, please."

"Yes, ma'am," Basil said with a friendly smile before he walked down the steps of the house. "My family knows you all are here so feel free to look around wherever you feel like once the basic tour is over. We're having a bonfire later tonight down at the creek and would like you all to join us."

"A bonfire?" Archer said. "That sounds nice."

"It sure does," Jean Bart said. "I haven't been to one of those since I was a kid."

"How about it, Captain?" Penguin asked. "Are we staying?"

Law glanced over at Neo. When he saw the light in her eyes, he knew instantly that she wanted to go to it. He said, "Sure. We have no other plans."

"Yes!" the crew cheered.

Basil laughed then said, "Let's get started."

"Bunnies! I want to show Bepo my bunnies!" Belinda shouted.

"All right," Basil said. "That sounds like a good place to start."

"One looks just like you," Belinda told Bepo.

"Oh really?" Bepo asked.

"Uh huh! She's all white too! And very fluffy!" Belinda placed her hands on Bepo's cheeks again causing her own cheeks to tint pink. "So fluffy!"

Snickers from the crew caused Bepo's fur to turn red. But he still kept the little girl in his arms and didn't do anything to discourage her behavior towards him. The crew then focused their attention on Basil as he led them about thirty yards from the house where a small hut and penned in yard held about fifteen rabbits of all ages.

"So cute," Neo squealed to herself. Instantly she ran her eyes over them, looking for signs that they weren't happy with their living conditions. She didn't see anything, but she still wanted to ask them about how they were doing. "Uh, can I play with them?"

"Of course," Basil said. He unlatched the gate and gestured for Neo to go on inside. "Pretty much all of our animals are friendly since we have a lot of people handling them. We do, however, have animals that can be ornery. I'll point them out as we go along so you know which ones to avoid."

"That will be nice," Tero said. He jerked his thumb at Neo who was just walking into the pen with Little Law on her heels. "But that won't matter to her. Animals love her. She could tame a grizzle."

"Maybe," Basil said, sounding as if he didn't believe Tero's words. "But I'd still prefer to show you all which animals to avoid."

"They won't attack us, will they?" Topaz asked.

"Well, any animal is capable of attack," Basil said. "And these don't really do that. They can just appear to be on the attack. It's basically like they're just harassing you. Tell you that this is _their_ territory and they don't want you near them. We don't keep animals that just outright attack people. My family has never done that. Animals that attack others are just trouble waiting to happen. So we've made it a practice to get rid of any animals that will attack a person or another animal for no reason at all."

"That's a good practice to have," Topaz said. "I've seen some animals just go wild and their human owners make excuse after excuse for their unacceptable behavior."

Neo took one last glance at her crew before kneeling down to the rabbits, like always the animals instantly came up to her to check out her nature like nature. She spoke quietly to them. "Hello, how are you all doing? I see. That's good. You all appear to be happy and healthy. Hey, Little Law. Stop that."

Little Law, who had his mouth over a bunny's head, looked up at her innocently.

"Don't give me that look," Neo said. "You behave yourself."

Whimpering, Little Law pulled back then licked the rabbit as if he were saying sorry to both Neo and the rabbit.

Neo forced back her giggle then turned her attention back to the rabbits.

"Come see!" Belinda said. Now out of Bepo's arms, she pulled him into the pen before grabbing the largest white rabbit. "This is my very own rabbit! Her name is Bunbun!"

"Bunbun?" Conner questioned, lifting an eyebrow at the name he considered childish. "Why not just call it Bunny?"

"Hush," Archer said, elbowing his crewmate in the arm. "She's a child."

"Whatever," Conner said with a shrug.

"Belinda always names her favorite animals like that," Basil said. "She has a horse named Horshors, a goat named Gogo, a pig named Pigpig, and so on and so forth. But let's move on now. If we can get Neo there to come away from the rabbits."

The crew turned their eyes away from the man and to Neo. Every single one of the rabbits was snuggled up to her or in her lap. She was blushing happily at their attention, almost like she was in a drunken state. "You're all just so cute! I want to take you all home with me! Yes, I do!"

At this point in time they knew only their captain would be able to get her away from them. And keep her from trying to keep the rabbits and making them extra furry little crewmates of the Heart Pirates. Law stepped up on cue. "Neo, it's time to move on now. Put the rabbits down. You can play with them later."

Neo looked up at Law, looking as if she forgot others were with her. A sad expression then over took that forgetful look. "Okay."

"Basil has horses," Penguin said, lighting Neo's face back up.

"Yeah!" Neo place the rabbit that was in her lap back down on the ground. "I'll come back later and play with you all some more. I promise." She then got up, dusting the dirt and rabbit hair off of her and left the pen with Little Law following close behind.

The group quietly followed Basil as he led them towards the red barn while pointing out things such as the bunk house, a birthing pen for pregnant cows who might have trouble in delivery, the branding area which Neo didn't care for, and various others things found on ranches and farms. When they were about twenty yards from the barn, a sharp shrill released from inside of the building. Basil groaned and rubbed his face. "Oh no."

"What was that?" Jean Bart asked.

"My little brother, Branson," Basil said.

"Isn't he the one who likes pirates?" Tero asked just before a dark blur came running up to them.

"You're Trafalgar Law! The infamous Surgeon of Death! Currently one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!" Branson chirped.

Law flinched at the mini version of Basil staring up at his with his hands clasped together in front of his freckled face and his eyes sparkling with tons of admiration. "Uh, yeah."

"This is so great!" Branson shrieked as he jumped around. "I finally get to meet one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea! And his pirate crew! This is the best day ever!"

"You are such a little geek," Bethany said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Little geek! Little geek!" Belinda chirped from her perch on Bepo's shoulder.

"Dang! He really does like pirates!" Archer laughed.

"Just keep him away from me," Conner said, taking two giant steps away from the excited boy.

"This is so incredible! I'm actually getting to met my second favorite Warlord!" Branson said. Suddenly he whipped out a small book and a pencil. Blushing furiously, he held the items out to Law. "Please! Let me have your autograph! Please! I'll do anything if you all just give me your autograph!"

"I get the feeling he won't leave us alone until we do it," Penguin said.

"Absolutely," Basil said. "Sorry about this. I tried to stop him from doing this before you all arrived. But he always bugs pirates for their autograph. I keep telling him he needs to be careful around pirates since some are not as friendly as others, but he just won't listen."

"You better just give him your autographs," Bethany said. "He won't stop bothering you if you don't. I've seen him follow a pirate crew about for eight days before they caved to him."

"Eight days?" Shachi asked.

"And he survived?" Jean Bart added.

"I'm surprised too," Bethany said. "He wouldn't be this way if he ever ran into Captain Kid. I know about that pirate. He has no trouble killing innocent civilians."

"That's so true," Tero said. "Might as well give him what he wants. I for one do not want this kid following us around. And I'm certain the _captain_ and _Neo_ wouldn't want it either."

"Yeah," the crew crumbled, easily picking up on his meaning that having a kid follow them around could lead to Neo's secrets being exposed.

"Yes!" Branson screamed. He shoved the book and pencil in Law's hands, looking like he was about to pass out. "Th-th-thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Law sighed but scribbled his name in the book before passing it off to Neo.

"So the captain here's your second favorite Warlord," Archer said. "Who's your first?"

"Hawkeye Mihawk," Brandon said, his eyes sparkling once again. "He's just the most incredible swordsman ever. I love swords as almost as much as I love pirates. I want to learn how to use one some day. I'm already practicing with sticks, but it's not the same." He looked back at Law. "I don't suppose you'll teach me how to use a sword. I mean, you have your own. I can use that one."

"Sorry, kid," Law said. "I don't teach kids how to use a sword. Besides, this sword is cursed. You wouldn't be able to hold it anyway."

"So cool!" Branson said, undeterred by Law saying that and being close to a cursed sword.

"This kid is so weird," Conner said.

"Yeah." Basil chuckled nervously. "Anyway, lets go on inside."

The book and pencil continued to pass around the Heart Pirates while they entered into the barn as Branson rattled on about everything he's read about them in the newspapers. The smell of hay, horses, dirt, and saddles greeted them strongly upon entering the building. There were twenty four stalls, a few horses, in here. "And this is one of our barns. Right now only a few horses are inside of here. They're friend so feel free to pet them."

Neo stepped forward. She jumped when someone unexpectedly appeared in the horse stall closest to her. It was a middle aged man, wearing glasses, with a receding dark brown hair line and a stethoscope around his neck. She tried to calm down but something about this man really startled her for some reason. She felt Law's fingers brushing against her back casually. She calmed down but still took a few steps closer to him since she couldn't figure out why this man bugged her so much.

' _Are you okay, love?'_

' _Yeah, I think. This man is just giving me a bad feeling.'_

' _You think he's going to hurt us?'_

' _I'm not sure. I don't think so. How could he? There's only one of him.'_

' _He could have friends.'_ Law thought back to his feeling of being watched, both times.

"Oh, Basil," the man said. "There you are."

"How's she doing?" Basil asked.

"Not too good I'm afraid," the man said. "If we can't get her to eat anything, she's going to die."

"Die?" Neo's ears perked up at the word. She then sensed a baby horse was inside of the stall. Cautiously, she eyed the man before slipping up to the open door. Peaking in she saw the blackest baby foal, with a small diamond shape white spot right between her eyes, she had ever seen. Sitting beside the foal was a bottle full of untouched milk.

"That's Diamond," Basil explained. "She was born a few days ago. Her mother didn't survive the delivery. And it looks like she's not going to survive either."

"No," Neo whispered. She looked back at Law. "She can't. Can't you do something for her?"

"I'm afraid not, Neo," Law said, regrettably. His heart sank in his chest when he saw tears gathering in her eyes. "I'm a human doctor. I can't do anything in this situation."

"There's not much anyone can do," the man said. "Sometimes baby animals just don't want to live without their mother. I've tried everything I could do to get her to eat. Even tried putting her with another horse that's recently had a baby. She just won't take either."

"Who are you?" Penguin asked. "Are you part of the B family?"

"No, no," the man said with a smile. "I'm one of the veterinarians on the island. I'm also a long time friend of the family here so you'll find me here a lot. You can call me Chase."

"Chase is basically a ranch hand as well," Basil said. "He helps when we need him. Chase, these are the Heart Pirates."

"I figured that with the way Branson is looking at them." Chase nodded to the star struck boy who appeared to be suddenly at a loss for words. "He was going on about them all day."

"Uh, would it be all right if I tried?" Neo then asked, gesturing to the foal.

"If you want to," Basil said. "Just don't get your hopes up."

Neo nodded. She walked into the stall and sat down by the foal.

"If anyone can get that baby to eat it's going to be Neo," Penguin said.

"Totally," Shachi added as the majority of the crew cheered their favorite girl on quietly so not to startle the foal.

"Hey, sweetie," Neo said. She reached out her hand to the foal. "I hear you're not doing to well. You miss your mommy, don't you?" The foal sniffed her extended hand. "You're a real sweetie, aren't you? I bet you really do want to eat. You're just lonely. I know how that feels. But you don't have to be lonely anymore. I'm right here for you." She picked up the bottle and placed the nipple to the foal's mouth. "Why don't you try it? I bet it tastes really good."

A tense moment of waiting passed around the group as they watched the scene before them with bated breath. The foal sniffed the bottle, flicked her ear, and then took it. A round of happy gasp filled the silent air.

"I don't believe it," Chase said. "She actually did it."

"That's a good baby," Neo said, stroking the foal's neck and body gently. Little Law wondered in the stall at that point. He sniffed the foal then barked, causing the foal to jump a little but didn't break her suckling of the bottle. "Little Law, you behave yourself. The baby here is scared. Be nice to her."

Little Law whimpered and cocked his head to the side. He walked up to the foal and curled up beside her.

"You're such a good boy," Neo cooed, scratching the dog behind his ear.

"She really is good with animals," Basil said.

"She is," Law said, unable to keep how proud he was of his lover out of his tone. He cleared his throat when Basil lifted an eyebrow at him.

"That's a good girl," Neo said with the foal had finished the bottle. "See? You were hungry. And you want to live."

"Neo did it!" Bethany said. "We can keep the foal now!"

"Neo did it! Neo did it!" Belinda echoed.

"She sure did." Bepo nodded.

Neo stood up from the ground, the foal instantly following her movements. Even when she stepped out of the stall, the young foal was right beside her. "She's so cute. Can she walk around with us? Will that be all right?"

"Amazing," Chase said. "Uh, yeah, it'll be fine. She needs to move around anyway. Well, I've got some other work to do before heading home."

"We're still having the bonfire later," Basil said. "Are you coming?"

"I'm afraid not," Chase said, not looking at anyone. It was an odd move that Law easily caught onto. "Tammy is still not feeling very good right now. And I think the kids might be coming down with whatever she has too."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Basil said. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah." Chase said with a nod. He finally lifted his eyes back up to the group. "Well, I'll see you later."

"Later," Basil called back before turning to the Heart Pirates to continue their tour.

While they went on their tour, Diamond followed Neo everywhere they went, much to Basil's surprise. He was even more surprised when all of the ornery animals he warned them about became putty in her hands. He watched in disbelief as all the animals let her pet on them, talk to them, and even ride on them.

Once the tour was over, the group had split up to do various things. Neo went on a horse back ride with Shachi and Bepo since Penguin took great interest in one of Basil's cousin, much to Neo's distain. But that grey cloud quickly vanished when she was upon top of a white mare. She forgot about her jealousy and enjoyed her ride.

"This is so great!" Neo exclaimed while guiding her horse back to the barn. Diamond was snuggled on her lap sleeping peacefully while Little Law rode with Shachi. "Why does it have to end so quickly?!"

"Quickly? We've been on these horses for four hours," Shachi grumbled. "I'm so sore. I hope we don't have to fight anytime soon. I won't be able to move."

"I feel fine," Bepo said.

"Shut up!" Shachi snapped.

"I'm sorry." Bepo ducked his head.

Little Law started barking.

"What is it, Little Law?" Neo asked. She looked at the little dog. When he barked again she turned her eyes to where he was looking. She found several people standing outside of the barn. And they all looked really worried.

"Now what's going on here?" Bepo asked.

"I don't know," Shachi said. "But it doesn't look good." They rode right up to the group and descended from their horses just as all but Basil rushed off. "Hey, what's going on?"

"We can't find Bethany and Belinda," Basil said. "We've looked all over for them."

"Did they go back to the mine?" Neo asked.

"I've already looked there," Basil said. "I didn't see them."

"What?!" Neo gasped.

"It's not that much of a surprise," Basil said.

"What do you mean Chase took them?" Neo, not hearing Basil, turned to a couple horses in the corral. "But why?"

"Who is she talking to?" Basil asked.

"Uh, it's kind of a long story," Shachi said exchanging concerned glances with Bepo. "But if Neo says they were taken by the vet then they were taken by him."

"That doesn't make any sense," Basil said. "We've known Chase for years."

"Well, apparently he's not the man you think he is," Neo said. "The horses say he took the girls in his truck and headed west."

"West?" Basil asked.

"What is it?" Bepo asked.

"There are some old mines about three miles west of here," Basil said. "But no one has gone in them for over two hundred years. Those tunnels are always collapsing."

"Then we need to hurry," Neo said. "The girls are in trouble. We have to go find them. Now!"

"All right, we'll go check out the mines," Basil said. He jerked his thumb towards the barn. "Let me saddle up a horse and we'll-"

"There's no time for that! Little Law, stay with Diamond!" Neo summoned her wind crystals. Placing Diamond in the corral with the other horses, she wrapped the winds around them and pulled them all into the air. "We have to go now!"

"Whoa! What the heck?!" Basil flapped his arms. "What's happening?! We're going to die!"

"Calm down," Shachi said. "Neo knows what she's doing."

"What about the captain?" Bepo asked.

"Don't worry," Neo said. "It's fine."

"Okay," Shachi and Bepo said, easily catching her meaning.

 _'Neo, be careful. There are other pirates on the island.'_

 _'I will. And I'll let you know if we need help.'_

"You pirates are crazy," Basil said. "We're hundreds of feet in the air."

"Don't worry," Shachi said. "Neo's a pro at this now."

"Now?!" Basil's eyes popped open. "What does that mean?! Is she new to flying like this?!"

"No, she's been doing this for over a year now," Shachi said. "She's a natural. Trust us."

"At the moment trust is not my strongest virtue," Basil said, eyeing the ground that was far, far away from them.

"I'm sorry you don't like me flying you," Neo said, giving the man an apologetic look. "It's just faster this way."

"It's fine." Basil looked back over his shoulder to where his home was. "I can't even see the ranch anymore. You really are fast."

"Are we almost to the mines yet?" Shachi asked.

"We should be coming up on them soon," Basil said, clenching his fists. "They better not be hurt."

…

 **Mina135: If you see this, nope. Never even heard of that movie until you mentioned it. Neo and Law's bond really isn't inspired by anything. I just got the idea and rolled with it. Glad you like it now.**


	6. Prowl P6

Prowl

Part Six

"There it is!" Basil pointed to the mines inside of the thick trees.

"Really?" Shachi inquired. "I don't see anything."

"Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to lower us into the trees until we know if anyone's around or not," Neo said.

"Good plan," Bepo said.

Neo nodded. She lowered them down into the trees gently. Using her earth crystals, she kept the leaves from rustling when they brushed against them. Settling them down on the branches, the group remained quiet as they stared at one of the openings of the mine.

"I don't see anything," Basil whispered.

"Shachi, there's fire inside of the mine," Neo said.

"Fire?" Basil gave her a puzzled look. "How can you tell?"

"Oh, well," Neo said, "its just part of my Devil Fruit ability."

"Really? I never heard of a Devil Fruit with that kind of power," Basil said.

"Neo's just full of surprises," Shachi said.

"Hey, someone's coming out," Bepo whispered. The group ducked back down into their branch, using leaves and shadows to hide themselves the best they could. "It's a good thing no one ever looks up for danger."

Neo smiled. That was one of many lessons Law had taught her. She had picked correctly in keep them in the trees rather than lowering them to the ground. This gave them the advantage. Focusing her mind on the task as hand, she continued to watch as a group of ten people exited the cave. "Hey, those are a couple of the pirates we ran into before at the other mine. What are they doing here now?"

No one answered.

"All right," one of the pirates said. "It's all set. You all get into position fast. We only have one shot at this."

The pirates, but for the one who spoke took off through the woods. The one remaining turned and went back into the cave.

"What now?" Neo asked.

"The girls could be in there," Bepo said.

"We should check it out," Basil said.

"Are you sure?" Shachi looked at the man. "These are pirates we're dealing with after all. And you don't have a gun with you. Maybe you should stay here?"

"No," Basil said firmly. "They're _my_ sisters. And if they are in there I'm going to rip those pirates apart with my bare hands."

"Neo," Bepo said. "You're the co-captain here. It's your call."

"Co-captain?" Basil questioned. "What do you mean by that? And don't say it's nothing. I know there's something going on here. Are you the vice-captain?"

"Sort of," Neo said. "It's also a long story."

"One in which we don't have time for," Shachi said. "If we're going in, we need to go in now while we have the element of surprise on our side."

"All right," Neo said. "We're going in. Just keep a close eye on Basil. I'll do my best in keeping him safe with my crystals."

"Aye," Bepo and Shachi said.

"Here we go," Neo said. She lifted a gale back around them and lowered them to the mine entrance. Setting them gently on the ground, they glanced carefully into the mine for the pirates. The entrance was dark but farther down the tunnel was the glow from the fire she had sensed.

"Well, you were correct," Basil said. "There is a fire inside of here."

"Let's go," Shachi said.

Inching their way into the mine, they looked around carefully for any pirates or other dangers that might be hiding in the shadows. Dirt and small pebbles fell from the ceiling above them. The smell of the dirt mixed in with the molding smell of the boards holding up the mine walls. Neo could easily feel how weak the wood in this place was. She could feel it wanting to snap, letting the mine walls close in on them. She wanted to tell the guys about this but couldn't. For one she would be revealing more of her secret to Basil and for two she didn't want to scare them.

"We need to be extremely careful," Basil whispered. "Any loud noise will most likely cause these walls to cave in."

"Why couldn't these pirates remain outside?" Shachi asked.

"Wait a second," Bepo then said.

"What is it, Bepo?" Neo asked.

"I can smell the girls," Bepo said, baring his fangs.

"But why take them?" Neo asked. "What's the point? It's not like they have bounties on their heads or-"

"I don't care what they're reason might be! These pirates are going to pay for taking my sisters!" Basil hissed darkly before breaking away from the pirates.

"Basil, wait!" Shachi called out quietly. But Basil didn't stop or make any sign of hearing him. The man just continued on barreling through the cave until he disappeared around the curve up ahead. "Just great!"

"Hurry! We can't let him fight the pirates alone!" Neo said, forcing her voice to remain calm. They rushed forward, their footsteps causing enough vibrations to cause the wood to groan and more dirt to fall. She summoned several of her earth crystals. Lighting them up with her glow, she connected to the cave in an attempt to strength it long enough for them to get the girls and get back outside. She hoped she could keep the walls from falling in on them.

"Are you going to be able to hold it until we can get out of here?" Shachi asked, catching on to what she was doing.

"I think so," Neo said. "As long as no one fires a gun in here."

"Then it's good Basil didn't bring his," Shachi said. "I don't think he'd be able to keep from shooting the pirates who took his sisters."

"He's loyal and protective to those he cares about," Neo said.

"You like him," Bepo said.

"Well, I just admire his loyalty," Neo said, her cheeks flushing red.

"Yeah, sure it's just this loyalty," Shachi said with a snicker.

"Oh! Focus!" Neo said just as they rounded the bend. They all jerked to a stop when they found Basil untying his two sisters from their bindings and blindfolds. "What?"

"Where are the pirates?" Shachi looked around. All he could find was a few old wooden crates and some abandon mining supplies. There wasn't even a place for an ambush to be hiding despite how large the mine was.

"I can smell them, but I'm not sure where they are," Bepo said. "Their scents are all over this place."

"Basil!" Belinda and Bethany cried and dove into their brother's arms once they were free, their voices causing dirt to fall from above and the mine to rumble.

"Shh," Shachi said. "Keep it down."

"Belinda, Bethany," Basil said, holding them tightly to him. "Are you girls all right? What happened?"  
"I don't know," Bethany said, pulling back from her brother. She brushed the back of her arm over her puffy eyes. "Chase said he had some candy for us in his truck. We went to get it then fell asleep."

"You fell asleep?" Neo asked. "Why?"  
"I don't know," Bethany said. "We just did. Next thing we in this mine and several people are around us."

"Where are the pirates?" Shachi asked.

"Pirates?" Bethany looked at him. "You mean your crew?"

"No, there were other pirates here in this cave with you," Shachi said. "That's who you heard talking."

"We were taken to pirates?! Why would Chase do that to us?!" Bethany wailed.

"I want my mommy!" Belinda cried.

The mine rumbled threateningly.

"Girls, you have to keep it down," Basil said. "Come on. We need to get you two out of here."

An unexpected thump on the ground caused them all to jump. Shachi and Bepo jumped in front of the girls and Basil, ready to fight off whoever was there.

"Come on out," Shachi said.

"How dare you take innocent little girls?" Bepo said. "You're going to pay for that. Now come out and face us, you cowards."

Several shifting and scraping sounds greeted them before Chase fell out from behind a crate. Tied up in ropes and a gag over his mouth, he wiggled around on the ground like a worm.

"Chase!" Basil hissed.

Neo looked at the man. The hatred and betrayal was obvious in his eyes. She had no doubt that he would go over to Chase and pound him from taking his sisters. But she couldn't let that happen. Basil wasn't thinking clearly. And it was obvious more was going on here that they all knew. "Shachi, Bepo, free him."

"Aye," the pirates said. They rushed over to the man. First to come off was his gag.

"It's a trap!" Chase got out just before a loud explosion forced them all to go flying through the air.

Neo was glad she had her earth crystals out like she did. With them in place she was able to react fast enough to move enough of the earth around them so they wouldn't get hurt. Or get seriously hurt anyway. They all hit the ground and the walls of the mine at least once before she managed to use her wind crystals to stop them from flinging around like ragdolls. Once the explosion died down, everything around them was completely dark. Her heart pounded in her chest as she lit up a couple fire crystals.

"Ouch," Shachi exclaimed as he sat up holding his ringing head. "Does anyone else hear singing?"

"I thought we were going to die," Bepo said. Dirt fell off of him when he sat up and looked around. "The mine is still in tact. I thought for sure it would have completely caved in on us."

"It's tougher than it feels," Neo said. "But the supports aren't going to last much longer."

"You saved us," Basil said, holding his sisters close to him body. "Thank you so much."

Neo's eyes went right to the girls. They were of course completely scared out of their minds. Both were crying and clinging to Basil like their lives depended on him. "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I reacted quick enough to keep us from getting any serious injuries. And speaking of which, how is everyone?"

"We're fine," Shachi and Bepo said.

"We just got a few bruises and scratches," Basil said, running his eyes over his sisters.

"What about you, Chase?" Neo asked, turning her eyes to the quiet man.

"I'm sorry," Chase said. He sat off from the rest of them. He was holding his head in both his hands, obviously crying from what he had done. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to do it. I really didn't want to take them."

"Then why did you do it?" Basil hissed.

"They made me," Chase said. "They took my family. They threatened to kill them if I didn't take the two girls."

"But why?" Shachi asked. "Why would pirates want to kidnap two farm girls? Do they want to move into the farming business or something?"

"No." Chase shook his head. "It wasn't…they don't really care about the B family. They're after you Heart Pirates."

"Why us?" Bepo asked.

"They want your captain to step down from the Warlords so their own captain can become one," Chase said. "When they saw you in the town they knew they wouldn't be able to defeat you with a frontal assault. So they cooked up this little plan to try and use you all to blackmail your captain into stepping down."

"Well, that was stupid of them," Shachi said.

"Yeah." Bepo nodded. "That captain's going to be furious when he realizes what they did to Neo."

"So that's it!" Basil then said.

"What's it?" Shachi asked as they all turned their eyes to the man.

"You and Trafalgar are lovers!" Basil pointed to Neo. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"Uh." Neo looked over to Shachi and Bepo then back to Basil. "I guess so."

"What are lovers?" Belinda asked.

"You know they're a man and a woman who sleep in the same room and have se-" Bethany started.

"All right, that's enough," Basil said, clamping his hand over his sister's mouth. "She's not old enough yet for that."

Bethany struggled to get free of her brother's hold but he kept her firm in his grip.

"Oh, we don't actually do that," Neo said. "We will when we get married, but not right now."

"Why not?" Basil asked. He then shook his head. "What am I saying? Never mind that." He looked at Chase. "What else?"

"Oh, yeah," Shachi said. "How did the pirates manage to escape this place? We saw them come in here before we did. Or at least one of them did. Some others left."

"They all weren't in here," Chase explained. "They've been watching you all since you arrived on the island, so they knew you were friends with the B family. And with how some of you treated Belinda and Bethany, they knew you'd come after them at some point. Though I'm not exactly sure how that worked, but here you are. And only that one pirate was inside of here. Others have already been placed in strategic places around the farm. One of them must have seen you all leave and head this way. He most likely called ahead on a transponder snail. There are also of few of them at my house. That's where they're holding my family hostage."

"So your family was never sick," Shachi said.

"No, my wife really is sick," Chase said. "She came down with the flu a few days ago. I just said the kids were getting sick too because I didn't want anyone to insist we come anyway."

"Where's the pirate that came in here?" Bepo asked.

"He stayed near the front of the cave," Chase said. "There's a hole up there where a person could hide. All he would have to do is cover the hole with something so no one would notice it. Then when you all walked past him and got far enough away, he exited the cave and blew it up the entrance to seal us inside."

"I didn't even notice a hole," Neo said, feeling really guilty she didn't pay close enough attention before coming in here. "I'm sorry, guys. If I did I could have-"

"Don't blame yourself, Neo," Shachi said. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "We all got tricked into this. But we'll be fine. I know you can dig us out of here. The captain will be fine as well. You know how he gets when you're in danger. He's going to cut up those pirates like salami."

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "I know."

"There's also other explosions set to explode if your captain doesn't give them what they want," Chase said.

"What?!" Bepo freaked. "We have to get out of he-"

"Will you shut up?!" Shachi pounced on his bear crewmate. Clamping his hands over Bepo's muzzle to silence him while speaking through gritted teeth. "Do you want this place to cave in on us?! We're lucky we're not dead! Neo's doing her best to hold this place together! But that still doesn't mean you need to jump around screaming!"

"I'm sorry," Bepo muttered from behind Shachi's hands.

Neo watched them before calling out to Law. _'Law, we have a problem!'_

…

When the others broke off to find something to entertain them, Law had decided to do one of his most favorite things: Roaming. He saw Neo off on the horse with Shachi and Bepo then headed off to wonder around the farm again. He was carefully taking in the sights with the sounds of farm animals keeping him company. Basil's family was scattered all over the place taking care of the animals, digging post holes, tilling the fields, kids were running around scaring chickens, and other various farm related things. He even saw some of his subordinates chatting it up with some of the single B family women. When he saw Penguin kissing one of Basil's cousins he knew immediately that was why Neo was feeling so jealous before. At least she had calmed down so he didn't have to go to her. She didn't even call for him. He was glad that she was her own person now, but he also couldn't help but miss that scared little girl who was always clinging to him and wanted him to always be around.

He paused at a small pond. Several ducks were swimming around in the water. Of few of them had babies with them. They were paddling around in the water while chirping up a storm when their mothers would get too far away from them. He smiled. It was just another reminder of Neo when she was scared and followed him around, clinging to his shirt.

He walked away from the pond. Heading back to the house, he found himself a great seat underneath a tree that was near the barn. He knew it would still be some time before Neo and the others came back. And if he knew her as well as he did, she was going to ride the horses for as long as she could. He just hoped that Shachi and Bepo didn't get too sore on the ride. Living on the sea didn't leave much time for riding horses so most of his crew wasn't use to riding on horses. But he wasn't too worried about it. If they hurt too much Neo would easily heal them with her solar crystal. With a sigh, he let his hat drop over his head so he could get in a nap before everyone came back.

He barely had his eyes closed for a few second before the hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he felt Neo's heartbeat sky rocket. He pulled out his sword, blocking the attack before it could connect with his skin, their swords clanking together. He glared up at his attacker. Standing over him was a dirty brown haired pirate with several missing teeth. He said, "Who the heck are you?"

"Captain of the Leech Pirates," the man snarled. "Captain Hiru. It's a real pleasure meeting you, Warlord Trafalgar Law."

Law pushed the man away from him. Jumping up he slashed at the man a couple times. His sword only made contact with his enemy's. "What do you want?"

 _'Law, we have a problem!'_

 _'I noticed.'_

 _'Are you okay?'_

 _'For the moment. What about you?'_

 _'We're okay. But we're currently trapped inside of a mine. Some pirates forced Chase to take Belinda and Bethany. The pirates want you to step down from the Warlords. They look us hostage in an attempt to make that happen. Shachi and Bepo are still with me. We also have the girls, Basil, and Chase here. Chase's family is also being held hostage at their house.'_

Law's chest burned with fury. This man he was facing put his love and subordinates in danger.

 _'I don't know what they're going to do out there. But they might try and hurt Basil's family. Law, don't let them do that. Please, don't let them hurt anyone.'_

 _'I wont. You just focus on getting out of there. Can you get out?'_

 _'I think so but I have to use more of my crystals and magic. I have to reveal myself to Basil, his sisters, and Chase. I'm sorry, Law. I have to do it.'_

 _'Don't apologize. You know you're making the correct decision. Now focus on getting out of there. I'll take care of everything out here.'_

 _'Okay. Be careful, Law.'_

 _'I will. You be careful too.'_

"Let's just get right down to it," Hiru said. "I have some of your subordinates under my control. And if you want them back alive you will step down from the Warlord position you currently hold."

"And if I refuse?" Law asked.

"Then you'll lose your crewmates we have," Hiru said. He waved his free hand around in a circular motion. "And others will lose their heads as well."

Law frowned when he noticed this guy's pirate crew has several of the B family and his own crew held hostage. Some of the women were crying, the men looked angry, and the children were hanging onto their parents completely confused and scared. He mentally counted the pirates. They were a group of fifty. Definitely more than his own crew, but they should still be able to defeat them. But at what cost? Who was going to get hurt? Death often occurred during pirate fights. It would be next to impossible for everyone to live. Unless Neo got here quickly. She would be able to disarm all of these pirates easily. He would be able to do that as well, but with how spread out everyone was it was clear they planned to keep their distance from him since the beginning. He wouldn't be able to get his Room big enough to disarm them all.

…

Neo stared over at the cave in then looked up at the ceiling. She wasn't exactly sure which way she should start digging in. It seemed they had flew quite a bit of distance from the explosion. And the mine was now weaker where they came in because of the explosion. If she attempted to dig their way out from that direction she could cause the mine to cave in more. But digging upwards didn't seem to be a much better option. As she knew it would, the explosion weakened the mine all over. She was a bit surprised that it hadn't already caved in completely on them.

"Neo, if you can't get us all out of here then just get yourself out," Shachi said.

"What?!" Neo gasped. She whipped her eyes to one of her many brothers, shocked he would even think about suggesting such a thing.

"We all know this isn't a good situation we're in," Shachi said. "We're easily replaced within the crew and to the captain. You're not."

"How can you even think that?! You know that I will _never_ leave you all behind!" Neo said. "You and Bepo are my crew, my brothers, my family! I'd rather be damned to Hell than leave you all behind!" Tears streaked down her face. "How could you even say that to me?! How could you?! You know how much I love you!"

The mine rumbled in protest to her screaming. She clammed her hands over her mouth. They all held still to see what would happen. The mine silenced again. They all relaxed.

"Okay, okay," Shachi said. He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Stroking her hair he tired to soothe her again. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just worried about you and everything. It's going to be okay. We'll get out of here. All of us."

Neo nodded. She pulled back from him and wiped away her tears.

"So how are we getting out of here?" Bepo asked.

"The only way we can. I think it's going to be better if I dig straight upwards. But I'm going to need to use a lot more of my crystals to make it happen safely enough," Neo said. She wrapped her arms around her body. She was starting to tremble with the though of revealing her secrets to these strangers. But it was necessary. She didn't have any other choice. She just wished Law were here with her.

"Are you sure about that?" Shachi asked, casting their current company a cautious look.

"You all are hiding something, aren't you?" Basil asked.

Bepo and Shachi looked at Neo. She drew in a deep breath and slowly released it in an attempt to calm her nerves and ease her trembling body. She said, "Yes, we are."

"What is it?" Basil inquired.

"I'm not exactly a Devil Fruit user," Neo said.

"Your not?" Basil kneaded his eyebrows. His eyes then widened in shock. "Wait a second…you're not…"

"That's correct." Neo nodded. "What I'm about to say isn't really very easy for me. And I can't explain everything right this second, but I'm not human."

"Not human," Basil repeated, slumping against the wall.

"If you trust me," Neo said, "I can get us out of here. But I have trust issues. And this is a very important secret I'm revealing. You can't tell anyone about this. None of you."

"I won't tell," Bethany said.

"I won't tell either," Belinda said.

"What about you, Basil?" Bepo asked when the man didn't say anything.

"Well, I've never had an issue with keeping secrets," Basil said. "So, okay, I won't tell anyone either. I give you my word on my family's ranch."

"Okay." Neo nodded. She turned to Chase. "What about you?"

"I don't care about your secrets," Chase said. "I just want my family back."

"You'll get them back," Neo said. She turned her eyes up to the ceiling. Concentrating as best she could, she summoned as many earth crystals as she could, filling the area and carefully started to shift the earth around them. The ground rumbled. Rocks and dirt plummeted down on them. She heard the girls screamed and could feel them hugging their brother.

"It's okay, girls," Basil said. "It'll be okay."

"I want my mommy!" Belinda cried.

"I know," Basil said. "We're going home soon."

"Come on, Neo," Shachi cheered quietly.

"You can do it," Bepo added.

Neo exhaled. Slowly, but surely, she started shifting the mine ceiling away. After several intense minutes of digging and trying to hold up the collapsing walls, she finally broke through. Sunlight beamed down on them, sending warm rays into the cool cavern. She wrapped her winds around them and moved them through the hole she made. A huge sense of relief washed through them once they were free. They all looked down as the mine roared and crumbled. She sighed, helping it cave in as much as it could so no one would ever be able to get inside of there again.

"We made it," Bepo said.

"Yeah." Shachi nodded. "And I never ever want to see another mine or cave again."

"Please, you have to take me home," Chase said. "I need to go see my family. I have to make sure they're all right."

"Well, I have to make sure _my_ family is all right," Basil said, glaring at the vet.

"I'm sorry," Chase said, hanging his head.

"Basil, your family is just fine," Neo said.

"How do you know that?" Basil asked.

"I just do," Neo said. "Our crew is taking care of them. They won't let your family get hurt. We need to secure Chase's family first. They're the ones who don't have anyone to protect them. Basil, I know what Chase did was wrong, but what would you have done if you were in his position?"

Basil closed his eyes stubbornly. After a few seconds, he sighed and his annoyed expression left him. "Okay. I probably would have done the same thing that he did." He looked at Chase. "I forgive you. Let's go save your family."

"Thank you." Chase cried.

"Lead the way then," Shachi said.

Chase nodded and pointed towards the town.

 _'Law, we're out. How are you doing?'_ Neo called out for Law to inform him of what they were doing.

 _'We're doing just fine. Basil's family is safe for now.'_

 _'I'm so glad. Listen, we're heading over to Basil's house to rescue his family. Try to stall the pirates until get can secure them.'_

 _'All right. Just be careful.'_

 _'You know we will.'_

Neo picked up her wind speed. Soon the town came into view. She followed Chase's directions as he guided her to the edge of town on the north side. Still hovering them in the air, they checked the place out before she lowered them to the ground. Using the bushes as cover, they leaned up against the house.

Shachi peaked into the window. Inside he saw four pirates and Chase's family gathered together on the couch with a gun pointed right at them. Dropping back down, he said, "They're all in the living room. There are four pirates. One of them is holding a gun on them."

"Oh, good Lord don't let them get hurt because of me," Chase said.

"At least they'll be easy to take down," Bepo said. "How are we going to go about this?"

"I don't know," Neo said.

"Well, one thing for sure, we can't go barging in there," Basil said. "They could pull the trigger and shoot someone."

"Then we need to lure them out of the house," Shachi said. "Chase, do you have a back door?"

"Yes." Chase nodded. "It's in the kitchen."

"Good." Shachi looked at Neo. "Neo, use your crystals to open and close the back door really loudly."

"What for?" Neo tilted her head.

"It'll drawl out at least one of the pirates," Shachi explained. "Once we have that one contained do it again."

"Oh, I see," Neo said. "We'll drawl then out one by one. Chase's family will be safe. Why not just let me use my fire crystals to melt the gun?"

"That might tip them off that we're trying to save Chase's family," Shachi said. "From this angle we can't tell if the others are carrying guns as well. If they are they could immediately kill them."

"Okay," Neo said. "That wouldn't be good."

"Can we get this over with?" Chase asked.

"All right, you all stay here," Shachi said. "We're going to go around to the back."

"Be careful," Basil said.

"We'll be fine," Bepo said.

Neo turned and followed after Bepo and Shachi. Once near the back door, she tucked herself into the bushes while Shachi and Bepo stood beside the door. When they nodded at her she used an earth crystal to form a vine. Wrapping it around the door handle, she opened it and slammed it as hard as she could. Stiffening up, she waited for the first pirate to come out. A long thirty seconds later, one of them finally walked out of the door. Shachi and Bepo grabbed him immediately.

"Hey! What are you-"

Shachi hit the pirate over the head. The pirate slumped into Bepo's arms. The two Heart Pirates pulled the unconscious pirate to the other side of the bushes where he wouldn't be seen. Then they repeated the process until all of the pirates were outside and unconscious. At that point they all rushed inside to check on Chase's family.

"Daddy!" the little girl cried as she and her brother ran up to their dad.

"Kids!" Chase held his arms open for them. When they jumped into his arms he closed them, holding his kids tightly. "I'm so sorry!"

"Honey!" his wife said. She collapsed beside them, putting her arms around them as she cried and coughed from her flu. "I was so worried about you!"

"I'm so glad they're back together," Neo said as she and her two brothers stood back from the family.

"We should head back to the captain now," Shachi said.

"Yeah, let's go," Neo said. They all turned to leave through the back door, so they could get the pirates, but she paused and turned back around. With the family still hugging she summoned her solar crystal and engulfed Chase's wife in it for a few seconds. She then banished and headed for the door with a smile.

"How are you, dear?" Chase asked.

"I'm fine," his wife said. "It's strange. I suddenly feel so much better."

Neo's smile grew as she exited the house. She jumped when Shachi tapped her on the shoulder.

"I know what you did," Shachi said.

"What?" Neo said, looking as innocent as she possibly could.

"All right," Shachi said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I won't tell the captain what you did."

"That's fine. I'll probably end up telling his myself anyway," Neo said. Wrapping her winds around them and their four extra passengers, she carried them all back to the B Family Ranch.

…

Law carefully watched as the pirates stared to lead the family and his crew into groups with their guns but they still stayed outside of his Room boarders. He knew his crew could easily handle these pirates. Since they were using little kids to trap his crew he could tell that they were just weak. Strong pirates would be direct about their intentions. They would have attacked him and his crew head on. These pirates had no clue what they were doing. Still he had to be careful and not pull any unnecessary casualties into his fight. That and he promised Neo. He knew she was growing fond of Basil. Whether or not the man joined their crew Neo would always consider Basil and his family as friends.

"I'm not telling you again," the other captain said. "Give up your Warlord position or lose you crew!"

"If anyone's going to give up, it's going to be you," Law said. "You have no idea what you've just done."

"What I've done is pushed you in a corner," Hiru said.

Law smirked when he felt Neo flying closer to him.

"What are you smiling about?" Hiru asked.

"You're about to find out," Law said.

Just then several screams erupted into the air. Hiru whipped around. "What's going on?!"

"It's hot!" a Leech Pirate shouted.

"My gun melted!" another one said.

"Mine too!"

"Same here!"

"My hand! It's burning!"

"What the heck is going on?!" Hiru demanded.

"Your defeat," Law said just before Neo landed down beside him.

Lifting her eyes up, she whipped her winds around wildly, picking up the opposing pirates. She said, "How dare you threaten my family!"

"What…what the…" Hiru's eyes widened as the fury raging in Neo's eyes.

Neo pulled all of the Leech Pirates into the air then dropped them down into a pile. Then her own crew, plus quite a bit of the B family, wondered up to the pirates.

"Get ready for the beating of your lives," Tero said while another crewmate cracked his knuckles.

Neo turned away from the fight.

"Are you all right, Neo?" Topaz asked when she walked up to her captains.

"I'm fine," Neo said. She looked between her sister and lover. "How are you two doing? Your not hurt are you?"

"We're fine," Law said. "How did things go on your end?"

"Chase and his family are safe," Neo said.

"That's good to hear," Topaz said. She cringed when she looked over at the brutal fight. "Ouch. I hope they don't go overboard."

"They'll lucky I don't kill them for what they did," Law said.

"I think Basil might have the same thought," Neo said.

 _'I'm glad you're back by my side.'_ Law casually brushed his fingers over the small of her back. _'And you are never allowed to go off like that again.'_

Neo bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She knew he wasn't serious about that. She would once again go off with one or more of their crew and will most likely get into trouble like this again. _'Sure thing, my love.'_

…

Eira sighed as she started out the rain streaked window. With her chin resting in her hand, she was contemplating everything that's been happening. She had opened herself up to complete strangers. And she still had no idea why. All she knew was she shouldn't have. And it was time for her to leave. She didn't want to get more involved with these people anymore than she already had. If it weren't storming again, she would have grabbed her stuff and left today.

She lifted up off her hand when she saw a group of people walking by wearing cloaks. Kneading her eyebrows she wondered why people were walking around in this storm. Surely the people who lived here were not that stupid. Was it possible that someone arrived on the island? The thought sent a shiver up her spine though she had no idea why seeing people like this would do that. Then one of them stopped and turned in her direction. The hairs on her body stood up. Something wasn't right about this. Her body tensed, ready to jump into action, but the person turned and continued to walk on.

Pulling her eyes from the window, she looked behind her to see that Melody was still sitting at the desk, scribbling notes into a book. She was worried about the woman, though she didn't know why she was. There was no reason for it. Or was there? Her instincts have never let her down before. Why would it now? Something bad was going to happen to Melody. If only she knew what it was. Maybe she could warn the woman about it. Since that wouldn't be possible, she decided to keep near the woman. Shock shot through her body. It wasn't like her to be so protective of someone. Still, for some reason, she was going to stay around this island until the woman was safe.

"Well, I think that's enough work for today," Melody said, closing her book. She stood up and walked over to Eira. "I'm going to head to bed now. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine," Eira said.

"Very well. Don't hesitate to wake us up if you need something," Melody said.

"I'll be fine," Eira said. "I'm just going to stay up for a while longer before going to bed myself."

"Suit yourself," Melody said as she turned and headed for the stairs. "Goodnight, Eira."

"Night," Eira replied. She watched Melody walked up the stairs. Once the woman was out of her sight, she turned back to the window. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep tonight. She had to stay up and make sure nothing happened. Her eyes looked back out the window for a half an hour longer before she pulled out her sketchbook and started flipping through it in a countless attempt to decipher the meanings behind the crystals and buildings she had drawn over the years she's been alive.

…

The B family and the Heart Pirates gathered around the large bonfire. Their cheering and the music drowned out the crackling fire but did nothing to hide the heat coming from the blaze. Some people had started off close to the fire, but soon they had moved away to enjoy the coolness of the night air. After they had loaded the Leech Pirates onto their ship, Neo pushed them out to sea until a current caught them and took them far away from this island. By the time they got back to the ranch, the B family already had a huge bonfire going. Several dishes had already been cooked while others were being cooked on the fire. The spread was laid out on multiple tables she believed came from the restaurant until someone informed them they always had tables around the houses since they have a big family and often ate outside for special reasons or reunions.

The two captains of the Heart Pirates were standing away from the rest of the group in an attempt to have a little private time together despite not behind able to kiss. Neo slipped her hand into Law's, standing as close to him as she could but still maintaining a captain and subordinate distance between them. She refused to let him go until they both saw Basil's grandmother walking over to them. Quickly, they dropped each other's hands.

"You don't have to do that," Bonnie said with a knowing smile. "I've been around long enough to know when a man and a woman are in love."

Neo glanced up at Law. "Are we really that obvious?"

Law shrugged.

"Maybe not to everyone, but you start noticing things a lot easier when you've lived as long as I have," Bonnie said. "Like how you two are interested in my grandson as a cook."

"How did you know that?" Law asked.

"People talk," Bonnie said. "Besides, why else would pirates be hanging around a certain person if they didn't want that person on their crew?"

"I'm sorry," Neo said.

"There's no need to be," Bonnie said. "And I have no plans of stopping him if he choses to leave with you."

"You really don't mind?" Neo asked.

"Not at all." Bonnie smiled. "Just wanted to come over here and thank you for saving our family. You and your crew are always welcome here on our land and in our home. Just consider yourself part of the family."

"Thank you," Neo said.

"Enjoy the party," Bonnie said before head back to her chair near the fire.

"Do you think he'll come?" Neo asked, reclaiming Law's hand.

"I don't know," Law said. "It's his decision."

Neo scanned the crowd in the glow of the fire. She found Basil among the dancers. He was dancing with Bethany while Belinda was dancing with Bepo. Well, Bepo was holding the girl in his arms while dancing around with her. She huffed. "Bepo is not allowed to stay here."

Law chuckled, squeezing her hand. He said, "You know that won't happen. He knows how that would affect you."

"Still, he seems really happy around the girl," Neo said.

"But you come first to him," Law said, brushing his thumb over her skin.

"I know. I still can't help but get jealous," Neo said.

"You know it's a normal feeling," Law said.

Neo sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"There you two are!" Basil said.

The two Heart Pirates turned to their new friend. This time they didn't bother releasing their hands.

"What's up, Basil?" Neo asked.

"Nothing much," Basil said with a smile. "I just wanted to thank you again for protecting my family."

"It was nothing," Neo said. "I'm just glad no one was hurt."

"Me too." Basil nodded. "And I have an answer for your question."

"Oh?" Neo tightened her hold on Law's hand.

"I would love to be a part of your crew," Basil said.

"Are you sure?" Neo asked, feeling guilty now about asking this man to leave his family.

"I am." Basil nodded. "It'll be fun to become a pirate and sail the seas."

"What about your family?" Neo asked.

"They don't mind," Basil said. "I've already spoken to several members of my family. And it's not like I'll ever inherit the restaurant."

"Still, I feel guilty for asking you to come with us," Neo said.

"You don't have to feel guilty at all," Basil said. "I'm choosing this of my own free will. You're not forcing me into it or anything."

"Well, it's that's what you really want," Neo said, earning a nod from the man. She held out her hand to the man, which he gladly took. She instantly noticed the roughness of his hand coming from the work on the ranch. And despite how much bigger his hand was to hers, his grip was firm yet gentle. He was going to be a great addition to their crew. "Then welcome to our crew."


	7. Prowl P7

Prowl

Part Seven

Eira squinted when the bright morning sun beamed in through the window. Distracted by her doodles and her worried thoughts about that group that had passed by earlier, she didn't even noticed that time was passing so quickly. The streets outside of the window were starting to fill up with people from the island. Their voices blocked from her ears by the glass and the wood that separated them. The hairs on her arms stood up when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Wiggling her fingers, she readied for her knife. Her body relaxed when she saw it was just two of the guests from the hotel. They chattered with each other, not giving her a single glance as they left the building. The noise from outside filtered into the building for two seconds before the door was closed, silencing the room again but for the ticking clock.

Staring back out the window, she carefully watched the people passing by. There were so many people. And anyone one of them could be the group she saw last night. Cursing silently at herself, she thought that she should have followed after the group and saw where they decided to stay. It was too late now. She could, of course, go ask around to see if anyone saw anything, but she had no idea what to tell people when they asked her why she was interested in them. She could just run off and not tell them, but then that would surely tip off the group she was looking for. And that wouldn't be good. Exhaling, she wanted to believe that she was just being silly. But from past experiences, she learned that her instincts about people were never wrong. And that group of people she saw was up to no good. Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance. She hated herself for feeling this way. She had no obligation to this woman that she was unexplainably wanted to protect. It wasn't like her at all. She had a goal in mind. Distractions were not needed nor welcomed.

"Goodness, Eira," Melody said.

Eira started at the woman's voice. Haven been distracted by her thoughts she didn't even hear or smell the woman and her husband coming into the room.

"Don't tell me you stayed up all night long," Melody continued.

"I wasn't tired," Eira replied. Which was the truth, or part of the truth. Sometimes she did stay up all night.

"You still should have tired to get some sleep," Melody said.

"I'll be fine." Eira shrugged and turned towards them. Placing her feet on the floor, she leaned forward. "I can always take naps if I get tired."

"That's true," Melody said, placing her fingers to her cheek. "Still, you should have tired to get some sleep last night."

Jon laughed. "Honey, you're one to talk. You use to stay up all hours of the night when you were her age."

"I guess that's true," Melody said thoughtfully. "I guess I forgot that since our baby does nothing but make me want to sleep. All well, I might as well start on breakfast."

Eira watched Melody walk towards the dinning room door while Jon when behind the desk. Getting up, she followed after Melody. Passing through the dinning room, she heard dishes being rattled around as the woman hummed to herself. She leaned against the doorframe and watched as Melody moved around the kitchen. "So, uh, what are you planning on doing today?"

"Oh, I don't know," Melody said, placing a pan on the stove. "I suppose I'll work in the garden for a while. It's been calling to me this morning."

"That sounds…relaxing," Eira said. This whole conversation felt so awkward to her. She wanted to make sure the woman was going to be safe, but she had no idea how to go about that. Flat out telling Melody was out of the question. There was no doubt in her mind that Melody would think she was nuts if she told the woman about her feeling and the group that passed by last night. There was no way to explain to Melody about her animal side. She didn't want to lie. Tapping her toes on the floor she tried to think of a way to stay close to Melody without raising the woman's suspicions.

Melody chuckled softly. "You really have no idea how to talk to someone, do you?"

"That obvious?" Eira shrugged, thinking how this woman was speaking the truth about her. She really didn't know how to talk to people unless she was being defensive or sarcastic. There was only one person on the entire planet that she had been able to talk to intimately. And that person was no longer with her.

"You really don't have to say anything if you don't feel like talking," Melody said. Tapping eggs on the side of the pan, she cracked them open and filled the pan.

"Sorry," Eira said.

"You know, if you wanted, you could join me out in the garden today," Melody said.

"I might," Eira said. "I'm a bit sick of all this rain. I could use a little sunlight before it storms again."

"Then right after breakfast, you and me can go hang outside together." Melody smiled at her. "It'll be fun. It's been quite a while since I've spent some time a lone with another woman. Usually, it's just me and Jon."

"Don't you have friends?" Eira asked.

"Oh, I do have them. But none of them care much for digging around in the dirt," Melody exclaimed. "Plus they have families of their own that keeps them rather busy. So we don't really get much time to get together and have some girl time." She placed her hand on her stomach. "And I know I'll be just as busy when this little one comes along."

"Do babies really keep a person that busy?" Eira asked.

"Indeed they do," Melody said as she started scrambling up the eggs. "Especially newborn babies since they are so helpless. You have to feed them, wash them, change their diapers, change their clothes."

"Sounds like a pain." Eira wrinkled her nose.

"I suppose it would be to someone who's not interested in children," Melody said.

Eira jumped slightly when Melody looked at her with sparkling eyes. "What?"

"Nothing," Melody said. "I'm just trying to decide if you're just the type that doesn't like kids or if you do but you choose to hide it."

Eira huffed through her nose, feeling slightly offended by the woman's words. But then she relaxed. Melody touched on something she never thought of before. "Actually, I don't know. I've never really been around kids before."

"Well, if you ever get the chance to spend some time around them you should do it," Melody said. "You never know. You might actually be very good with kids."

Eira tilted her head. With nothing else to say she remained standing there in silence. Her mind spun with the woman's words. They were actually making her think. How would she be with kids? Would she like them? Would she hate them? Would they make her want to string them up in a tree? She didn't know. She didn't even know if she wanted to find out. Before long the smells of breakfast and sizzling hot bacon had filled the entire room and pulled her from her thoughts. Without prompting, she grabbed the small pile of places and silverware that Melody had sitting out on the counter and walked them into the dinning hall. She spread them out on the table before going back to pick up the pitcher of orange juice.

"Thank you, Eira," Melody said, placing the eggs and bacon down on the table. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's fine." Eira shrugged as she sat down in a chair. Her eyebrows shot high on her forehead when she realized she had placed herself right next to the chair where Melody sat.

"Well, breakfast smells really good," Jon said, entering into the room. He kissed Melody's cheek before sitting down.

"Thank you," Melody said, sitting down. "Let's eat. Shall we?"

"Shall we say a prayer this morning?" Jon asked.

"Of course. I would like to say it if that's okay with you," Melody said, earning a nod from her husband.

Eira turned her eyes to them as her two housemates closed their eyes and folded their hands. Having no idea what to do, she just sat there and watched them.

"Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning to thank you for everything that you have given us. You have blessed us in so many ways that we can never tell you how grateful we are. Please, continue to bless our island and protect the people who live here. And bless the babies. The ones that have been born and the ones who have yet to be born," Melody said. "And bless our new houseguest. Please help her find what she is looking for. Amen."

Eira shifted in her seat. She never gave much thought to whether or not she believed in God. She's heard people talk about Him back home, but never had much on an influence of believing or not believing in Him. But she managed to notice that this woman's prayer was different from others she has heard. The others ones were always filled with a lot of I's and Me's. Meaning the person saying the pray was talk more about them than another else. Melody's prayer was more for everyone else rather than herself and her husband.

"Ahem," Jon echoed. "Now we can eat."

Eira sat still as the two started filling their plates with their breakfast. It took Melody passing her the bacon to snap her out of her lost daze. She took the plate from her. "Thank you."

…

Eira stood off to the side of the reception room. She watched quietly as Melody and Jon spoke to each other.

"Just call if you need me," Jon said before kissing Melody's forehead. "And don't over work yourself or get too heated."

"I'll be fine," Melody said. "You don't have to worry."

"I'm going to do it anyway," Jon said.

Eira found the conversation to be rather revolting, but also intriguing. Melody and Jon's relationship was way different from her guardians' relationship. These two had a different type of passion between them that was more gentle and understanding while her guardians' relationships was more-

"Let's go," Melody said, breaking Eira from her thoughts.

Eira pushed off the wall and followed Melody back into the kitchen and out the back door. Fresh vegetable greeted her nose upon stepping outside. Her eyebrow rose on her forehead when she saw the garden. It was a lot bigger than she had figured it would be. There were several rows of corn, peas, beans, potatoes, and several other vegetables that didn't grown on her home island. There were also fruits being grown as well as flowers. It struck her more as a nature paradise that a garden. And shockingly the storms didn't seem to have bothered the garden at all.

"Looks like the corn has popped back up," Melody said as she inspected a stock.

"What do you mean?" Eira asked.

"Well, the heavy rains we have here can lay corn over. And it did but there looks to be no serious damage to them at all," Melody said.

"That's…good," Eira said, trying to be happy for the woman. After all this was her and her husband's food source. Probably there only source since she had no idea what they used the money from the hotel for. They could use the money for food, but why buy what you could grow on your own? It would just be a waste of money. Or she thought so anyway. But what did she know? She's never had a job or a garden. "So, what are we doing?"

"For the moment, we're going to pull weeds from the garden," Melody said.

"Pulling weeds?" Eira tilted her head. "Why pull plants out of a garden?"

"Huh?" Melody turned her eyes to Eira. "What do you…oh! You've never dealt with a garden before, have you?"

Eira shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit stupid for saying anything. "We don't have much warm weather on my home island."

"So you're from a winter island," Melody said.

"Sure." Eira shrugged again.

"Well, if we don't pull the weeds they'll take over and choke out the plants we want to have grow," Melody said, pulling a weed from the ground. "Weeds grow a lot faster than other plants. So they have to go."

Eira gaze followed the weed as Melody dropped it down to the ground. She watched the woman kneel on the ground and continued to pull the weeds. A minute later, she finally got down on the ground and started pulling the weeds as well.

"Would you mind if I asked you a question?" Melody asked a few minutes later.

"I guess not," Eira replied.

"Is there a reason you carry that bag and cloak around with you all the time?" Melody asked. "I don't think I've seen you without them even once since you arrived here."

"Yeah, I do," Eira said. "I don't want to lose them. They're gifts from a friend. I have a dagger from him as well."

"I see. That makes sense," Melody said.

Two hours later, Eira looked up when Melody got up off the ground. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Melody stretched out her back. "Just a bit tired. I think I'm going to go take a nap. You're free to continue working if you want to."

"I might," Eira said.

"See you later then," Melody said, heading for the door.

Eira watched her go, fighting down the desire to follow her. Once the woman disappeared back inside, she went back to pulling weeds. A half an hour later, she found her mouth was very dry. Pushing herself to her feet, she headed inside to get a drink of water. With no one around, she helped herself to the dishes having remembered where Melody got the glasses out. The cold water rushed over her dry mouth and throat, recoating them with wetness. Placing the glass down on the counter, she headed for the lobby. Jon was busing with checking in a couple so she just wondered back over to the window and took up her guard position again. Ultimately, sitting there doing nothing let her become drowsy. It made her wish she had either kept working in the garden or had tried to sleep last night. Pressing her temple against the warm glass, she allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

Roughly an hour later, Eira woke up suddenly. She looked around to find the hotel was empty expect for herself and Jon. "Where's Melody?"

"Hm?" Jon hummed but didn't look up from his newspaper. "She went to get some tofu. She had a sudden craving for it."

"What?!" Eira jumped up and dashed for the door.

"What's wrong?" Jon asked.

Eira didn't bother to answer him. Instead she just bolted through the door, leaving it open as she left. Sniffing the air, she locked onto Melody's scent and started running faster. With her fast moves she got several people shouting at her to watch where she was going, but she didn't even bother to slow down. Soon she found herself in front of the door where Melody's scent had led her. She was just about to bust through the door when her target walked out of it. "Melody!"

"Oh!" Melody jumped. "Eira, you scared me. Where did you come from?"

"What are you doing out here?!" Eira demanded.

"What? I was just doing a little shopping," Melody said, holding up the tofu she had just bought. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"You have to go back to the hotel!" Eira said, grabbing the woman's arm.

"Eira? What's going on?" Melody said.

"You're in danger," Eira said.

"What?" Melody gasped.

Eira turned back when Melody ripped her arm from her grip. "Come on. You need to get back to the hotel."

"Eira what are you talking about?" Melody asked. "You're not making any sense."

"There are some people after you!" Eira said.

"Who?" Melody asked.

"I don't know," Eira said. "But there were some people on the island last night."

"That's nothing out of the ordinary," Melody said, confusion speckling her voice and facial expression.

"I know that. But these guys were wearing cloaks and walking around in the storm," Eira said.

"Still nothing out of the ordinary," Melody said. She stepped around Eira and headed toward the hotel. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," Eira said. Rushing to catch up with her, she walked right beside the woman while scanning the crowds. She had no idea who she was looking for. Surely those people last night wouldn't still be wearing their cloaks. Suddenly, Melody stopped walking. She turned back to see what happened with the woman and found she was just standing there with a frightened expression on her face. "Melody? What's wrong? What is it?"

Trembling, Melody lifted her hand and pointed.

Eira followed her point to find a man leaning against a near by building. The hairs on her arms and legs stood up. This man belonged to the group she had seen last night. She knew it some how. She stepped in front of Melody. "I have no idea who you are or what you want, but you're not touching her."

The man just smiled and looked passed her shoulder. "Hello, Melody. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"How do you know her?!" Eira demanded.

"I've heard you've made quite a life for yourself," the man said.

Eira growled at being ignored. "I asked you a question!"

"Buzz of, brat," he said. "This doesn't concern you."

"If you're here to hurt her then yes it does concern me," Eira said.

"Me? I'm not here to hurt anyone," he said. "I'm just here to see my precious baby sister."

"Sister?" Eira blinked. "You mean you're the one who tried to take advantage of her?"

"I did nothing of the sort," he said, listing his head. "She told me she wanted to do that."

"Liar!" Melody snapped. "I did not!"

The man chuckled.

"What are you doing here, Aster?" Melody asked.

"Why else? I came to check on my dear baby sister," Aster said, his eyes dropping down to Melody's stomach. "I never would have guessed you would become a mother."

Melody placed her hand on her stomach and took a step back from him. "Leave. _Now!_ "

"Is that how you treat me after all these years?" Aster pushed off the wall and walked over to them.

Eira stepped in between the two. Her eyes were sharp with a threatening glare. "Back off. She wants nothing to do with you."

"Who are you?" Aster listed his head.

"At the moment, Melody's bodyguard," Eira said.

"You? You think you can protect her from me?" Aster asked, his eyes sparkling with a secret.

Eira sniffed the air. She could sense them. Aster wasn't alone. There were at least fifteen people with blood lust radiating off of them. If only she knew where they were. But with all the people walking around, they could be anyone and anywhere. Kneading her eyebrows, she wondered if Aster was part of the cloaked group she saw last night. He had to be. She just knew he was. "Just tell your friends to stop hiding."

Aster's expression filled with shock. "How did…how did you know?"

"You all stink." Eira smirked.

Aster growled. Snapping his fingers, the men made themselves known.

Eira carefully scanned her eyes over them, noticing some were wearing their cloaks but they had them pushed behind them. She wasn't able to see them from where they had appeared.

"Eira, let's go," Melody said, stepping around Eira and Aster.

"Where do you think you're going?" Aster stepped back in her way. "I've come all this way to see you. Do you have any idea how hard you are to track down? Lucky for me I found the Bloodhound Pirates. They were gracious enough to help me after I had killed their captain."

The hairs on Eira's arms and neck stood up. She had to get Melody out of here before it was too late. Walking up to the woman, she grabbed Melody's arm. "Let's go."

"Not so fast," Aster said.

Eira barely got two steps before Aster grabbed her arm and jerked her back. Spinning on her heel, she pulled back her fist and punched in square on the nose, instantly snapping the bone. Warm blood shot out, covering her knuckles and tainting the air with iron.

Aster stumbled backwards. Holding his nose, he glared at Eira. "You little witch! You're not going to get away with that. Attack! Kill them both!"

"No!" Melody screamed and dropped her shopping bag. She tried to run, but some of the Bloodhound Pirates blocked her way. One of them pulled a gun and fired into the air. The people on the streets screamed and scattered, desperate to get inside.

Eira's chest flared up with anger when the pirate pointed the gun at Melody's stomach.

"No!" Melody pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please! Don't! Leave my baby alone!"

The pirate cocked the hammer.

Eira snapped. Not caring if anyone saw her transform, her fur started forming over her skin.

"What the heck are you?!" a pirate asked as he stumbled away from her.

"Your worst nightmare," Eira hissed.

"Th-that's what you think!" The pirate pulled his sword out and charged at her.

Eira easily dodged the thrust of his sword. Slamming her elbow into the back of his head, she caused him to drop his sword as he fell to the ground unconscious. She picked it up and twirled it before clashing the blade against another sword.

"No! Let me go!" Melody screamed.

Eira whipped around. Two pirates had a hold of her under her arms and were trying to drag her off. Dashing towards them, she sunk the blade into one of the pirate's chest while kicking the other one in the head. Suddenly a hand came in front of her face. She bit down on the finger in front of her. Blood trickled into her mouth while a piercing scream filled her ears. The scream grew louder when she completely bit through the man's finger. Turning around to face the rest of the pirates, she spit out the blood and finger. "Who's next?!"

"Get her!" Aster shouted.

Eira was ready for them. Shooting up her hands, she shot out several ice shards. They embedded in the pirates' bodies, killing them. Their lifeless bodies slump to the ground. Running her eyes over them she saw one was missing. Before she could turn around, she heard Melody scream. When she turned she saw Melody was lying on the ground with a knife sticking out of her rounded stomach. Red blood covered the woman's shirt while red fury filled her own eyes. Ice began to swirl around her, chilling the immediately area around them. Her ice crackled and snapped as she pushed on the ground and towards Aster's feet.

"What the…" Aster looked around when ice began to swirl around him. Coldness on his legs made him looked down. His eyes over flooded with fear when he saw the ice moving up his body. He tried to move away. "Let me go!"

"Like you let Melody go?" Eira hissed.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Aster said.

"You did plenty wrong," Eira said. "You're sick. Trying to sexually abuse her, then you try and kill her and her baby, and now you refuse to believe you did anything wrong. You deserve to die. And you will. I'm going to freeze you down to your very core."

"No! Let me go!" Aster shrieked. Desperately he swiped at the ice now creeping down his arms.

Eira closed her eyes. The sounds of her ice crackling were over taken by Aster's screams. A few more seconds and Aster's screams were cut off. He was now a frozen statue that would take several hours to thaw out. Walking away from the frozen body, she knelt down next to Melody. She released a string of curses under her breath at the dagger and blood. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Melody, too full of pain to speak, nodded vigorously.

Eira took the woman's hand but stopped when Melody released a sharp shriek. She winced at the sound piercing her ears. A strange, unfamiliar scent filled the air. Sniffing, she followed the scent down to the ground underneath her friend. "What in the world is-"

"M-my water broke," Melody said.

"You're what?" Eira asked.

"I'm going into labor!" Melody screamed again and squeezed Eira's hand.

Eira gritted her teeth when such a fragile looking woman about crushed her hand. "Okay! We need to get you to the hospital!" Pulling her hand free from the grip, she slipped her arms around the woman. "Let's go!"

"What?! You can carry-Ah!"

"I can." Eira lifted Melody up. "Which way is the hospital?"

"Th-that wa-Ah!" Melody pointed in the direction they had just came before being over come by a contraction.

Spinning around, Eira raced down the street as quickly as she could. A minute later, her arms burned from the weight of the woman she was carrying. But she wasn't going to give up. Racing down the street, she looked around to fine Melody was in far too much pain to lead her any farther. Luckily, she turned a corner and found the small hospital. Rushing for it, she could feel the blood from the stab wound starting to leak on her own shirt. Ignoring it, she dashed into the hospital. The smells of disinfectant and sick people hammered her nose. It was so strong she almost buckled underneath the smell. "Someone…help! My friend here needs help!"

"Goodness!" A nurse rushed over with a gurney. "Here! Lay her down here!"

Eira placed Melody down on the bed.

Just as the nurse was about to push the gurney away from the area, Melody grabbed Eira's hand. "Please, find him. I need him."

"Don't worry," Eira said. "I'll get him."

"We have to go," the nurse said.

Eira nodded. She watched the nurse push the gurney down the hall before turning and running back out the door. It wasn't until then she realized she was still in her snow leopard form. She cursed again. She had no idea how many saw her transform. Hopefully with all of the ruckus the pirates caused maybe no one noticed. Maybe everyone else was to busy running for cover that they didn't noticed her transforming. Ducking down an alleyway, she shifted back to her human form then proceeded back to the hotel. Continuing on down the alley, she moved behind building until she got to the backside of the hotel then she went back to the front. There she could see that the crowds were starting to come back out of their hiding places. Several murmurs about the pirates and the snow leopard were running ramped. Her heart jolted in her chest. She expected someone to turn on her and shout out that she was the snow leopard. But no one did. No one even noticed her slipping passed them and up the stairs of the hotel. Entering into the building, she found Jon sitting at the desk checking in a couple.

"There you go," Jon said, handing over the key. "Enjoy your stay."

The couple said their thank you and headed towards the stairs. Eira rushed over to the desk.

"Eira, I've been wondering when you two wou-What's with the blood?"

"Melody's in the hospital," Eira said.

"What?" The color drained from Jon's face.

"Her brother or whoever showed up and attacked her," Eira said as Jon dashed around the counter. "She's been stabbed and has gone into labor."

"I have to get to her!" Jon bolted out the door.

Eira followed, wondering if it was all right to leave the hotel like this.

"Mark! I need you to watch the hotel!" Jon said. "Melody's hurt!"

"You got it!" a blonde haired man across the street said.

Eira shook her head. Of course Jon would have a friend who could help. So her worry over the hotel was replaced with getting to Melody. The town blurred around her. Strange feelings washed over her. She had no more room to doubt how she felt about Melody and Jon. She was worried for them. She was worried for their baby. She hated that she had gotten this close to them. It didn't make sense to her. It shouldn't have happened but it did. Soon the smells of the hospital hammered her nose again. They were inside of the sterile building. Standing back she watched as Jon demanded to see his wife.

"She's in surgery," the nurse said. "I'll let you know when she's out."

Jon whipped away from the desk and started pacing around the waiting room.

Eira watched him for a few second before realizing she was standing in the middle of the room like a moron. Moving towards a chair, she sat down unsure of what she was supposed to do now. Time ticked by slowly. Her eyes remained on Jon as he continued to pace around the room. Ever so often her gaze would flicker to the door to see who was there or who was coming in. Her body was tense. She didn't want anything to happen to Jon despite knowing the threat had been dealt with. Looking down she stared at the blood that was starting to dry on her hands. Knowing she needed to wash it off, she didn't move.

"Excuse me, sir," a nurse said.

"Yes?!" Jon asked.

Eira looked up. Her heart raced in her chest. She swallowed.

"You're wife is just fine. And so is your baby," the nurse said. "And it's a boy."

Eira exhaled. A weight that she didn't even realize was there lifted off her shoulders.

"That's so great! Can I see her now?" Jon said.

"Yes, but she's still sleeping after the surgery," the nurse said while leading the man down the hall.

Eira felt her stomach sink a bit when she was left alone. Shaking it from her mind, she stood up and headed for the bathroom. Using her great sense of smell she was able to easily find the bathroom just down the hall without having to speak to anyone. Upon entering it, she found it was currently empty. That was good. She didn't really feel like being around anyone while washing the blood off of her. Turning the water on she started rubbing the blood off her skin. A sigh escaped her lips when she saw blood on her shirt. There was no way she would be able to get it out despite still trying. After several minutes of scrubbing at the stain, she gave up and headed back out to the waiting room. Shifting the strap of her bag on her shoulder she sat back down and wondered if she should really be here. Looking up to the doors, she wondered if anyone was going to come and try to capture her or something. But after two hours had passed, no one came. Perhaps she was correct in assuming everyone was too busy running for cover to noticed her change. Turning her eyes back to the hall where Jon went down she decided to just leave. It was way past time for her to move on anyway. So she stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you doing?" Jon asked.

Eira jumped at his unexpected voice. Turning around she found his smiling face. "I was just…"

"You're not going anywhere until you meet our son," Jon said.

"You want me to meet your son?" Eira asked.

"Of course," Jon said. "You saved both his and Melody's lives." He gestured towards the hall. "Come. Melody's asking for you."

Eira shifted on her feet before following after him. She knew she needed to leave, but she really wanted to see Melody. The desire to see that her friend was okay with her own eyes over powered her desire to leave. Jon led her right to Melody's recovery room. Her breath hitched in her lungs at all of the wires connected to the woman's body. Some of those wires were connected to a machine that beeped each time the lines on it jumped. Another one was over Melody's mouth that led to a machine where something was pumping up and down. While yet another one was attached to the back of the woman's hand that led to a bag hanging on a pole with a curved hook.

Melody opened her eyes and turned her head towards Eira. Despite not being able to see the woman's smile do to the breathing mask, Eira could tell that she was in fact smiling by the shine in her eyes. Eira walked over to the bedside when Melody help up her hand.

Melody pulled down the mask on her face.

"I don't think you should do that," Eira said.

"It'sh okay," Melody slurred.

"She's still affected by the drugs. She's going to be a bit sluggish for a while," Jon explained.

"Ou musht have been sho scared," Melody said.

"I'm fine." Eira leaned in closer to Melody. The cloudy affect of the medication she was shone in the woman's eyes. "You should rest."

"Baby…ou shoud see him," Melody said. "He'sh beautiful."

"I will see him." Eira took the mask from Melody and pulled it back where it belonged. "You just rest. You're safe now. No one will bother you."

Melody nodded before closing her eyes.

Eira looked back at Jon when he placed his hand on her shoulder. When he signaled for her to follow him, she did. He led her farther down the hall to a section where part of the wall was replaced with glass. Her eyebrows lifted on her forehead upon seeing six babies lying in small beds. She pointed to the second on from her right. "That's him."

"How did you know?" Jon asked.

"He looks like you," Eira said.

"I guess he does," Jon said.

Eira glanced at him. He was wearing such a prideful look she thought he was going to bust. He was experiencing something unfamiliar to her. Her eyes went back to the baby and the nurses bustling about the room when one or more cried. "Such fuss over something so tiny."

"I guess so," Jon said. "But that's babies for you. They're helpless at this point so they need us to do everything for them."

"He'll be all right, won't he?" Eira asked. "I mean he came early."

"Yes, he'll be fine," Jon said. "He's healthy as he should be."

"That's good to hear." Eira smiled.

…

The next day Eira found herself frowning down at her picture in the newspaper. Someone had taken her picture and put it out for the world to see. Luckily the article didn't mention her human side, it only called her a Zoan Devil Fruit user. All it really said was how she killed those pirates and helped a local pregnant woman to the hospital where Melody delivered a healthy baby boy despite being stabbed. It also revealed that Aster took over the Bloodhound Pirates' captain's identity. No one outside of the crew knew about the switch. She didn't understand the hype that came from it. But Melody and Jon received many gifts, mostly stuff for the baby, from the islanders. She had also received some gifts but wasn't going to keep any of it. There was nothing she could use, but for the clothes. Someone gave her some new ones because of the blood she got on hers. She kept the dark colored ones but got rid of the rest. And most of the food that was brought to them wouldn't survive her journey. On Jon's request the food was donated to shelters and orphanages.

"It's amazing," Melody said. "I never would have guessed you were a Devil Fruit user."

Eira just shrugged. She could have easily lied and said she was one, but she didn't want to lie. She didn't want to tell the truth either. She tucked her feet under her legs at the end of the hospital bed. Her eyes drew to Melody. The woman had just finished feeding the baby, burped him, and was now rocking him to sleep. "So how long do you have to stay in here?"

"For about a week," Melody said. "But I still have to take it easy. Luckily a friend of ours is going to help out with the hotel while we get adjusted to having a new baby around and for me to get healed."

"That's good." Eira dropped her eyes down to the newspaper. Her mind filled with questions on when she should leave. After this attack there was no doubt the Navy would take notice. They would come after her.

"Eira, is something wrong?" Melody asked.

"No. Why do you ask?" Eira didn't look up at her.

"You seem distracted about something," Melody said.

"I guess so," Eira admitted. "I'm just thinking about how I have to leave soon."

"All ready?"

"Yeah." Eira nodded.

"I see."

Melody's sad tone made Eira look at her. "I'm sorry. But this was just a temporary stop."

"I understand," Melody said. "You do what you have to do."

Eira bit the inside of her cheek. Her eyes drifted down to the sleeping child in Melody's arms. "Well, I guess I can at least stay until you two have left the hospital."

"If you really want to," Melody said.

"Yeah." Eira smiled. "I want to." A moment of silence fell between them before she asked, "So have you decided on a name for him?"

"Era," Melody said. "We chose him to name him after you."

"You're naming him after me?" Eira blinked.

"We are." Melody smiled and nodded.

Eira shifted awkwardly.

…

Neo shifted as she started to wake up from her sleep. Sliding her hand over the bed she found Law's side was empty and cold. A whimper escaped from her lips. She didn't like it when she woke up and he wasn't beside her. "Law…"

"I'm here," Law said walking out of the bathroom. He laid down on the bed and kissed her cheek.

"You no longer smell like smoke," Neo said, nuzzling into his chest.

"That what happens when you take a shower," Law said. "Like you should."

"But I like smelling like a bond fire," Neo said.

"You going to get up soon?" Law asked.

"No." Neo summoned an earth crystal and wrapped vines around their bodies. "And neither are you."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yeah, that's so."

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to leave you behind here on Zara while the rest of the crew and I head back out to sea," Law said.

Neo opened her eyes and frowned at him. "You're being mean."

"Sorry, love." Law leaned down and kissed her when she tilted her head up to him. "But that got you to wake up more."

"But I want to stay in bed with you," Neo said.

"We'll have plenty of time to snuggle later," Law said. "Time to get up. We have to eat breakfast then get Basil settled into the sub."

"I know," Neo said, sitting up. "I'm up, I'm up."

"Good girl," Law said.

Neo pecked his lips before crawling off the bed. While she was in the bathroom getting dressed, Law rummaged around the room to get make sure they had everything packed up and ready to go. Once Neo exited the bathroom, she took her bag and let Law warp her back to Topaz's room. Little Law jumped into her arms and started licking her. "Okay, okay. I've missed you too."

"Ready?" Topaz asked.

"Yeah." Neo nodded before the two Elementals headed for the door. Out in the hallway Penguin, Bepo, and Shachi were all ready waiting for them. When Law joined them they headed off to return their keys and put their bags back on the sub. The sun was shining bright but the day wasn't hot as they made their way through the crowd. When they finally reached the docks, Law warped their bags into the sub. The rest of the crew arrive and Law warped their bags then they all headed back to the town. They were meeting up at the B Family restaurant. The B Family was treating them to a special meal before they finally set sail.

The restaurant was empty with the exception of the B Family when they arrived. They had closed the restaurant this morning so they could have privacy. The crew sat down. Several different conversations filled the room. A lot of the crew was flirting with the single B Family women. Among them was Penguin. Neo huffed at him paying so much attention to another woman, but push it aside by telling herself they were leaving soon.

"I can't believe my baby is leave!" Basil's mom cried.

"Ma, I'm going to be just fine," Basil said.

"I know," she replied, cupping his face. "You're so strong."

Basil kissed her forehead.

"But I don't want Bepo to go!" Belinda wailed.

"I'm sorry, Belinda," Bepo said holding the girl on his lap. "I have to."

"No!" Belinda wrapped her small arms around the large bear.

"Don't worry, Belinda," Shachi said. "You can keep an eye on us through the newspaper."

"No!" Belinda snapped.

"It's going to be tough getting her away from Bepo," Shachi said.

Neo nodded. "And we still have to find Little Law a home." She glanced at Law.

"We've already been over this, Neo," Law said.

"I know," Neo said.

"Why not just let the B Family take care of him?" Topaz suggested.

"I guess so. They do love their animals," Neo said looking down at Little Law who was chewing on a raw steak near her feet before looking up at Basil. "Will that be all right?"

"It would be more than all right," Basil said.

"I'd be more than glad to watch him for you," Bethany said with a smile.

Neo nodded. She felt better knowing that the B family would take care of Little Law. And the little dog really liked the family already so that helped too. She opened her mouth to reply to them but stopped when she noticed Navy soldiers walking into the restaurant. She frowned. "Just great."

"What are they doing here?" Topaz asked.

"Probably have a mission for the captain," Tero said.

"Warlord Trafalgar Law," the Navy Captain said.

"Yes?" Law lifted his eyes to the soldiers.

"Your presence is needed on Morning Glory Island," the Navy Captain said.

Neo eyed the captain carefully. He looked rather young to be a captain in the Navy. His hair was black and thick that enhanced his boyish looks.

"What is it?" Law asked.

"We need you to retrieve a priceless item from a band of thieves," the Navy Captain said.

"You've got to be kidding!" Conner said. "We have to go after thieves? Isn't this a job for the Navy?"

"Shut your mouth, pirate!" a soldier said. "You'll do as you're told!"

Conner smirked. "We're pirates. We do as we please."

"You little!" The soldier pulled his gun off his shoulder. Before he could point it at Conner, Neo had ten fire crystals right in front of the soldier's face.

"Point that at him and I will burn your skin off," Neo hissed.

The soldier gulped and placed his gun back on his shoulder.

"We've tried to retrieve the item, but have been unsuccessful," the Navy Captain said. "Several of them have Zoan type Devil Fruits and they have rigged explosives all over the island and are using them as a threat to kill all of the people there if we set foot on the island again."

"So just have the people leave," Archer said.

"While the bombs have been planted they also destroyed the ships that were on the island. And they have no shipwrights there to build more," the Navy Captain said.

"So you're wanted me to use my Devil Fruit powers to get onto the island," Law said.

"That or using Neo's abilities over the wind." The Navy Captain nodded.

"Fine. What is this item we're after?" Law asked.

The Navy Captain took a folder from another soldier and handed it to Law. "It's called the Raven Chalice. The Celestial Dragons have purchased this a few weeks ago. Upon having it shipped to them the ship was ambushed. As you might guess, they are getting tired of waiting for it to be handed over to them."

Law flipped opened the folder while the captain spoke.

"Its that important?" Neo asked. Looking at the picture she found the chalice was shaped like a raven, hence the name she assumed. It was made of some type of black metal and had two jewels that looked like rubies as the eyes. "Is it special or something?"

"No," the Navy Captain said. "It's part of a priceless collection that has been scattered all over the word."

"We'll head over to Morning Glory Island immediately," Law said.

"Good." The Navy Captain nodded then left the building with his soldiers.

"Wow," Basil said. "I didn't expect to get a mission this quickly."

"Have second guesses?" Law asked.

"Not at all," Basil said. "I'm ready to go."

"Then we should head out," Law said.

Basil nodded. Several tears started to pour down people's faces at that point. The Heart Pirates stood off near the door while Basil said his goodbyes to his family. Then they gathered up the three suitcases of clothes he decided to bring with him and headed off for the sub with some of his family following behind.

"Can't I come?!" Brandon asked for the thousand time that day.

"We're already been over this, Brandon," Basil said. "You're too young to become a pirate."

"It's not fair!" Brandon kicked a rock.

"Maybe when you're older you can become a pirate," Shachi said.

"Could I join your crew?" Brandon's eyes sparkled.

"Who knows?" Shachi said.

 _'So would you want a star struck boy on the crew?'_ Neo thought to Law.

 _'No way. He'd be a liability. If he wants to be a pirate, he can be on someone else's crew.'_

 _'You're so mean.'_ Neo smiled when Law rolled his eyes. _'Well, at least we finally get to sleep in our own bed again.'_

Law smiled then. He too was ready to get back to their own room.

The noise of the town quickly gave way to the groans of ships rocking on the sea as waves crashed against the sand and wooden boards. A sharp whistle caused Neo to turn and look to see who made it. She saw Basil's eyes were wide as he started up at their yellow home.

"It's more amazing than the pictures in the newspapers," Basil said.

"She is a beauty," Shachi said.

"And she can out run any Naval ship." Conner patted the side of the sub like it was his baby.

"I'll bet," Basil said.

"It so wonderful!" Branson shrieked.

The Heart Pirates groaned. They all were ready to put some distance between them and the pirate obsessed boy. One by one they started climbing up the ladder to their home.

"Please no go!" Belinda cried as she continued to cling to Bepo.

"I'm sorry, Belinda," Bepo said. "I have to go now. You be good now."

Belinda sniffled and nodded.

Bepo patted her head before climbing up the ladder.

"You don't worry about Little Law at all," Bethany said. "He's in good hands now."

Neo slowly nodded. Snuggling against the puppy in her arms, she said, "You behave yourself now, Little Law." She then handed the dog over to his new owners.

"Hey! The morning paper has arrived!" Archer announced. He grabbed the newspaper when the mail bird dropped it. "I wonder what's been going on lately."

"Well, read it later," Conner said as he climbed up the ladder. "We have work to do."

"Yeah, yeah." Archer tucked the newspaper into his boiler suit and followed his crewmate.

"Here it comes!" Basil cried.

Neo looked to see he was tossing up his bags to the men above.

"I could have lifted those up with my winds," Neo said.

"No worried." Basil threw the last one up then winked at her. "It's more fun this way."

"Okay." Neo shrugged. Summoning a wind crystals, she lifted the remaining pirates up to the deck. "I'll just fly you then."

"I get the feeling you spoil your crew," Basil said.

"You got that right," the crew said before laughing.

Neo felt heat rising in her cheeks. It was true. She did spoil them. "They're my babies. I have to spoil them."

"You do not, love." Law kissed her temple. "You _want_ to spoil them."

"Same thing," Neo replied.

"Is not." Law smirked at her before heading into the sub.

"Oh!" Neo puffed out her cheeks. "Go set sail!"

"Aye aye, _Captain_ ," Law said.

"You two are so cute together," Basil said.

Neo's cheeks burned after that. Huffing she followed after Law to check out her home.

"She blushes rather easily, doesn't she?" Basil said.

"She's just that innocent," Penguin said, grabbing one of the suitcases. "Come on. We'll show you around and get you settled."

Basil nodded. He grabbed his other two suitcases and followed the pirate inside of the sub.

…

A couple hours later, after Neo had done a thorough search of their home to make sure everything was where they left it, she wondered into the kitchen where she found Archer, Basil, and Penguin. Basil and Archer was sitting at the table reading the newspaper while Penguin was munching on an apple while leaning against the counter.

"Hey! Check this out!" Archer said, his eyes locked down on the newspaper he was holding. "It's that girl again!"

"The snow leopard one?" Penguin asked while stepping over to the man with the newspaper.

Neo walked over to the table as well. She scanned her eyes over the snow leopard girl. Something was vaguely familiar about her, but she didn't know why.

"And she now has a bounty," Archer said.

"A bounty?" Neo questioned. She dropped her eyes from the picture and looked at the article. The girl did indeed have a bounty.

"Apparently, she killed an undercover marine that was allied with the Bloodhound Pirates. She's now worth 30,000,000," Archer said. "Since stealing that Navy ship she has now killed the Bloodhound Pirates."

"I wonder who she is," Penguin said. "The article is only calling her Spotted Death."

"Maybe she's a new pirate," Archer said.

"Then why didn't they mention her crew? It only mentioned her," Penguin said.

"Spotted Death?" Neo rolled the words on her tongue. "It doesn't suit her at all."

"What does that matter?" Basil asked.

"I'm not sure," Neo said. She straightened up her body and tapped her toes on the floor. "So how are you settling in, Basil? Do you have everything?"

"I'm good," Basil said. "The crew has been very welcoming and has shown me the entire sub except for the kitchen, I mean galley."

"You haven't looked around here yet?" Neo looked at him.

"Penguin thought you'd be best to show me around since the galley is very important to you," Basil said.

"You're such a dork," Neo said to Penguin. The man just smiled and shrugged at her. "All right. I'll show you around now."

"Sounds good to me," Basil said, standing up.

…

"Spotted Death? You have got to be kidding me!" Eira growled and crinkled the newspaper's edges in her hands. "Is the Navy really that stupid to name me something so stupid?!"

"You might want to keep it down if you don't want the Navy knowing you're the snow leopard," Jon said.

Eira tossed a look over her shoulder at the soldiers who had just walked through the door. The Navy had arrived a few days ago to take care of the incident that had happened. So many rumors were flying about what happened when she had killed the pirates. Some had even pointed out that the snow leopard didn't appear until she herself showed up. But, luckily, others had arrived on the island at the same time she did. So she was able to push suspicions off of her. She even said she would jump into the sea to prove she wasn't a Devil Fruit user. It didn't happen though. The Navy soldiers just moved on to find the snow leopard. It was far beyond the time she needed to leave.

"I'm still a bit surprised that you're really that thing," Jon said when the soldiers disappeared upstairs. "No offense."

"None taken," Eira said. With Melody having seen her transform, there was no point in hiding it from Jon now, despite still keeping secrets about it. She flipped to the next page to find an article about the Heart Pirates. Instantly, she felt a drawl to the spotted hatted man that went with the article. "Heart Pirates?"

"Oh, yeah," Jon said, glancing at the page. "Their captain is one of the Seven Warlords of the sea. I over heard some of the soldiers saying that he and his crew was spotted on Zara Island and is heading towards Morning Glory Island for a mission of some kind. Apparently there's something going on there that they can't handle themselves."

"It's him," Eira mumbled. Her fingers punctured holes in the thin paper in her hands.

"Is something wrong?" Jon asked.

"It's him. Or one of them," Eira said. Her head spun. Her body was light as air as she stared at the Heart Pirates captain. "I finally found them."

"Found who?" Jon asked.

"And I'm going to kill them," Eira hissed.

"Okay, you're scaring me now," Jon said.

Eira snapped out of her trances. She looked up to find Jon giving her cautious look. "I'm sorry. I'm just…I didn't mean to…I'm sorry."

"You know you can tell us anything," Melody said.

Eira flickered her eyes over to the woman. Melody was holding Era in her arms, both clearly up from their nap. Personally, she thought it was too soon for Melody to be out of the hospital, but it wasn't her call. She sighed. "I guess I owe you that much."

Melody walked around the check in counter and sat down beside Jon.

"The truth is I'm looking for someone," Eira said. "I keep having these visions. I mean they're memories. But they're not mine. They belong to someone else. Two people actually."

"How could you be having memories from two other people?" Jon asked.

"I have no idea," Eira said. "All I know is I'm having their memories and an uncontrollable desire to kill them."

"But how do you know it's them? And how will you even find them?" Melody asked.

"They're heading to Morning Glory Island according to the Navy," Eira said.

"That doesn't mean they'll be there when you arrive," Melody said. "How will you track them then?"

"I think I've been following them all along," Eira said.

"What do you mean?" Melody asked. The baby fussed but was silenced when she rocked him.

"I some how always know where I'm going despite not knowing where I'm going," Eira said. "I know that sounds weird, but it's the truth. My snow leopard side seems to be showing me the way. I just didn't know who I was looking for until now. I never paid much attention to newspapers before." She pushed off the counter. "I need to gather as many news articles on them I can. I need to study them. And I need to leave immediately."

"Do you really have to go?" Melody asked. "You could just stay here. And what about the Navy? You have a bounty on your head now."

"I can easily handle the Navy. And I can't stay." Eira shook her head. "I feel trapped within these memories and I have to know why I have them. I have to know why this is happening. I need to be free. And if killing them makes that happen then I'm going to do it."

"I still don't believe you have to kill them," Melody said. Reaching over she placed her hand over Eira's. "I can see that you are determined to do this. But if you do catch up to them at least talk to them about this. Don't just automatically kill them. Promise me you'll talk to them."

"I can't promise that," Eira said.

"Just try," Melody said. "They might be able to help you."

"Maybe," Eira mumbled.

"Well, I guess since you're wanting to leave I should help you get ready," Jon said.

"What do you mean?" Eira asked. "I already have everything I came here with me."

"You said you needed newspapers," Jon said. "I still have quite a few. We'll help you go through them and then show you to our ship."

"You have a ship?" Eira lifted an eyebrow.

"Just a small one," Jon said. "I use to do a lot of fishing when I was younger. It's in good shape and should carry you easily to Morning Glory."

"A bit of a coincident, but I'll take it," Eira said. When Jon stood up, she followed after the man. He led her to a closet that was in the kitchen. Inside were several newspapers. Luckily with the dates on the newspapers they were able to start where the Heart Pirates had first made their debut. While she and Jon went through the newspapers Melody gathered up some food for Eira's journey. Once they had all the articles and food they could fine, they headed outside.

"I didn't realize you had so many newspapers," Melody said.

"I've been meaning to get rid of them," Jon said, his cheeks tinted pink. His focused turned to leading the women down to the water.

Eira scanned her eyes over the docks as they passed by them. Only one Navy ship was there. It made sense. They weren't after multiple groups of pirates. Still, the sight of it made her uneasy. The sooner she got of this island the better things were going to be. Pulling her eyes back to Jon she found him unlocking a padlock on a shed. The doors creaked angrily from being disturbed. She stepped inside to the dim room and found a ship. It was way smaller than the ships she had seen and been on but it looked like it would handle the sea easily enough. "You have been taking good care of this ship."

"It's a hobby." Jon shrugged, placing the food baskets in the ship.

"Are you sure you want to part with it?" Eira asked. "Won't you want to use it later?"

"No, I'm done with sailing on the sea," Jon said. "I'm going to be rather busy with our son."

Eira looked at the baby in Melody's arms. A smile spread over her lips. She had a love hate relationship with these people. And now with the baby that relationship was leaning more towards love.

"Would you like to hold him before you go?" Melody asked.

"Well, I don't know," Eira said.

"Come on. It'll be fine," Melody said. Stepping forward she placed her baby in Eira's arms.

Eira stiffened up when the fragile being was placed in her arms. She didn't dare move. She didn't dare breath. Her burning lungs forced her to inhale. "He's so tiny."

"And he likes you," Jon said.

"How can you tell?" Eira asked.

"He's not fussing at all," Melody said.

"I see." Eira ran her eyes over the baby's features. A strong desire to stay and protect this small family filled her once again. She knew it couldn't happen. "Well, I should be going now."

Melody nodded sadly before taking back their son. She then put her arm around Eira. "We're going to miss you."

"We are." Jon put his arms around both of them.

"You always have a home here if you need or want it," Melody said.

Eira remained stiff in their embrace for several seconds before relaxing. Much to her surprise, she found her arms lifting up and returning the embrace. Actual tears came to her eyes. She forced them away then pulled back from the family. One last look at them she jumped onto the ship. After everything was ready and Jon had opened the other door to the sea, she pushed off the deck.

"Take care of yourself!" Melody called out.

"I will!" Eira said.

"Come back and see us sometime if you can!" Jon said.

"I'll try!" Eira waved until her friends had become nothing but small, black dots hidden inside of the shed's shadows. "Well, that's that. I'm off to find them once more." She looked down at her stack of newspaper articles. "Time to get started."

…

 **Sarge1130: Yeah, I'm finally back to updating this story. I also have one new chapter for Monkey D Law up and hope to get more up soon. Glad you like it.**

 **Hey It's Yuno: That's so sweet of you to say. I'm glad you like the story.**


	8. When Dreams Attack

When Dreams Attack

A couple hours after she had set sail, Eira found herself rummaging through the food that Melody and Jon had given her. She paused when she found a picture inside of the basket. Pulling it out she found it was a family picture of her unexpected friends, including the baby. Turning it over she read the inscription on the back.

 _Eira,_

 _Consider yourself part of our family. You can always come back home when or if you need to. Even thought we only spend a small amount of time with you, we both love you very much. Take care of yourself. Enjoy this picture and always remember we'll be thinking of you and we care._

 _Melody, Jon, & Era_

Eira's chest tightened. Warm tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. She refused to let them fall. Still, she took off her bag. Pulling out her notebook, she grabbed a knife out of the drawer and cut small slits on the back page and tucked the picture inside until she could get her hands on some glue to glue it in place. Putting the book back in her bag, she resumed her mini mission for food. Plucking two apples out of the basket, she headed out of the small kitchen. Out on the deck she sat down against the mast and pulled one of the newspaper clippings in front of her eyes. While sinking her teeth into the tender flesh of the apple's skin, she read the words of when Law first came onto the scene as a pirate.

She winced. Pain shot through her head as another Death Memory entered into her mind. This time she knew who the boy was. It was Law.

 _Law wiped his dwindling tears away from his eyes. It hurt so much but he knew he couldn't keep crying. Someone was now dead. She saw a man with blonde hair had killed another man, someone important to Law. Anger filled his chest. He was going to have his revenge on the man who took the other man's life. So he stole a boat. Moving through the sea looking and thinking of a way to kill his target. Looking at his hands, he thought about his new powers. From what his friend said it was a Devil Fruit with surgical related powers. And the only way he knew how see what it could do was trying it out. She could feel him trying to work out how it was suppose to work. She could recall him saying, "Surgical powers. And surgery happens inside of a surgical room."_

 _A ring of light brown smoke came out of Law's hand. It spun around and spread out a few feet around him with a blue film like substance. Law stumbled backwards, surprised at what he had done. He reached out to touch the blue film but instead caused a rock to split in half. He looked down at his hand before closing it into a fist. The young boy was on his way to figuring out his Devil Fruit powers. Time passed. She found him on an island where two boys were picking on a white bear, a white bear wearing clothes. He fought the two other boys and somehow ended up as their friend. The three followed him around. His pirate crew had been officially started._

Eira groaned. Opening her eyes she found herself staring up at the blue sky. She had fallen over. Pushing herself back up she sighed. "Stupid…I'm so sick of these things. At least I'm on the right track now. I know who I'm looking for."

Reaching for the newspaper clippings she found that she had knocked them over, scattering them over the deck near here. Grumbling, she started picking them up but stopped when a picture caught her eyes. It was a black and white photo of a girl with long wavy hair. Kneading her eyebrows, she found that something was annoyingly familiar about the girl. A strong desire to stab her dagger into this girl's heart over too her so much that she pulled her dagger out and stabbed the picture repetitively, also hitting the deck. "So, you're the other one that I keep having Death Memories about. Well, Sweet Princess, you're going to die soon. So enjoy what little time you have left with your crew."

Jerking her dagger out of the deck she put it up and started reading everything she could on the girl. "Neo? That's a stupid name. So she can control the elements with her crystals and it says she's a Devil Fruit user." She scoffed. "Sure she is. Stupid marines will fall for anything."

One by one she read through all of the articles, taking in all they gave her on her prey.

"This can't be real," Eira said as she stared at the articles that were talking about Neo. "How is it possible such a pathetic girl like her is able to survive out here? She refuses to kill people when her crew is in danger? That's makes her nothing but a liability. I'd be doing the world a favor by killing her."

Lowering her arm to her lap, she looked back up at the sky. She hummed in thought. "This Neo person might be a bit hard to get close to. She's clearly not the trusting type so trying to become one of their crew might not work. And she's always around her crew. They're strong. I won't know how strong they are until I can face them personally. And their captain is currently one of the Seven Warlords of the sea. That alone means they are rather dangerous. But is that because of him or is his crew just as strong? Their style appears to be that of the martial arts. However, that doesn't mean they don't have other means to fight."

A large fish breached the water. Out of reflect, she shot her hand out towards it. An ice erupted from her fingertips forming into a spear. The spear pierced the flesh of the fish. A large splash from it dropping back into the sea rocked her boat. Once it settled, she stood up to calm her prize. The fish was half the size of her boat. It should last her a couple of days.

…

 _Soft snowflakes flowed down around her, brushing tenderly over her bare arms before falling down to the blanket of snow at her feet. Neo exhaled. Her breath crystalized as the heat bloomed out from her lips. Making a slow turn, she looked around her snowy environment. Several weeping willows were around her. Their branches and leaves coated in both snow and ice. A cool breeze blew through the leaves. The frozen leaves brushed against each others, creating a beautiful chiming sound that only nature could create. "This place is amazing."_

 _Neo spun around again. Her comfy pajamas were replaced with a chest hugging pure white dress that flowed down to the ground. When she stopped spinning the dress laid over the snow, showing her that the back of it was longer than the front. It reminded her of her Luminous dresses. An urge to move prompted her to move. Making her way through the trees, she cast her gaze around and found that nothing and no one else was around her. "Where am I?"_

 _As she continued walking, she brushed her fingertips over the leaves of ice, creating more beautiful chimes. Then she felt someone's eyes on her. Carefully scanning her eyes around, she tried to find the source but only managed to see more snow. She kept moving. The temperature dropped. Rubbing her hands on her bare arms she continued walking through the snow. Several minutes later, she realized she was in the same place she had been. She hadn't made any progress of getting anywhere. Something on the ground then caught her eyes. Looking down she found footprints were in the snow. But they weren't hers. They were just a bit bigger than her own feet. She followed them._

 _The temperature dropped again, sending an icy chill through her entire body. She shivered. Summoning her fire crystals she lit them up in an attempt to warm herself. It worked for a few seconds before a cold rush of wind blew the fire out. It confused her. Only she should have been able to put the fire out. She lit them again only to have the same thing happen. The wind blew the fire out. She said, "What's going on?"_

 _"Your death," a voice said. "That's what's going on."_

 _"Who's there?" Neo looked around as she continued to follow the footprints. "Where are you?"_

 _"I am the one who's going to kill you," the voice said._

 _"What are you talking about?" Neo asked._

 _"I hate you," the voice said. "I can't stand that you and your lover exists. So I'm hunting you down. And I'm going to kill you both."_

 _"But why?" Neo asked. "What have we done to you?"  
"You live," it said. "And because you live I suffer. It's all your fault that I'm here."_

 _"What do you mean?" Neo asked. "How can Law and I be to blame for your suffering?"_

 _"It matters not," it said. "I know it's your fault that I am in this position. And you will pay for it with your lives. Be prepared, Princess. I will be coming for you and your lover soon."_

 _Neo's eyes widened when she saw the footprint morph into paw prints. The voice didn't speak after that. The snow and wind disappeared. Deathly silence filled the air before a low growl flowed through the leaves. Something moved on her right. She whipped her eyes to see that darkness was settling in around her. The trees were vanishing from her sight. And she was being stalked. Something was moving within the shadows of the darkness. Her heart steadily began to beat faster. She could feel that whoever was after her was literally out for blood. Her blood. "Show yourself!"_

 _"Do not tell me what to do!" the voice hissed. Upon the voice rising, the temperature plummeted, the wind blew, snow washed up into the air, the frozen leaves of the willow trees jingled angrily._

 _"Stop it!" Neo summoned her crystals. She was meet with fruitlessness when nature would not obey her commands to calm down. "That is enough! I command you to stop!"_

 _"You are not in control here, Princess!" the voice said. "Just look at yourself."_

 _Neo looked down. She gasped upon seeing ice had frozen her dress to the ground and the ice was working its way up her body. Grabbing the fabric of her dress, she tried to pull herself free. Pain shot through her fingers. Pulling back she found her fingers were turning blue and frosted with ice crystals. "No! Law! Help me! Law!"_

 _"He can't help you," the voice said. "No one can."_

 _"You have to stop this!" Neo said. She jumped when the shadow from the trees walked out in front of her. It was a snow leopard. Its fur was white as the snow so much that it almost blended into the snow around them if it had not been for the dark blue rosettes that decorated its fur. She knitted her eyebrows. Snow leopard spots weren't white or blue. Real snow leopards base fur color ranges from smoky grey to yellowish tan with whitish under parts. And their open rosettes are dark grey to black. The wind slowed down and gracefully swirled around the snow leopard as if it was the one controlling the snow and ice. She wondered if this snow leopard was even real._

 _"Time is running out, Princess," the voice said. The wind grew, pushing up snow around them again before the snow leopard vanished inside the swirling snow. The ice on Neo's arms crackled, slowly creeping up her arms._

 _"No!" Neo desperately tried to push the ice off of her arms. It was fruitless. The ice continued up her limbs until it covered her body but for her head. Slowly, it continued to creep up her face, burning her skin with its icy blaze…_

Gasping, Neo bolted up in bed. Looking down at her hands she could see remnants of blue on her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered through her panicked pants. "Sho c-cold. L-Law…"

…

Law ran his razor down the side of his face one last time before swishing it in the water that he had filled with the sink. Turning his head this way and that, he looked for any remaining spots that needed to be shaved. He found none. So he placed his razor down on the counter and splashed water onto his face to wash off the remaining shaving cream. He then pulled the towel off his shoulders and dabbed his face.

His eyebrows knitted together when he felt Neo stir restlessly in her sleep. A dip in his and her body temperature sent his worry level through the roof. He heard her soft voice calling from him from inside of their room. Dropping the towel he bolted from the bathroom. His body jerked to a stop when he saw that Neo's skin was blue. "Neo, what happened?!"

Law rushed around the foot of the bed, sat down, and wrapped his arms around her. He gasped when her icy skin touched his shirtless body. His eyes dropped down to her blue lips, it dropped his heart in his chest. Instinctively, he started rubbing his hands over her skin in an attempt to warm her up. "Love, you're freezing! What happened? Did you lose control of your crystals or something?!" She didn't answer. "Neo?"

"Itsh…s-s-sho…cold," Neo slurred, dazed from the coldness that gripped her. She shivered uncontrollably against his warmth, desperate to get warm.

Law cursed under his breath upon noticing the hypothermic signs she was displaying. "Neo, you're hypothermic!" He pulled the cover up around her as much as he could, making sure to cover her head and torso. He then wrapped his arms back around her in an attempted to use his own body heat to help warm her up. He cursed again when he could still feel the coldness radiating off her body through the fabric that now separated their skin. He rubbed his hands on her body as fast as he could. "Summon your fire crystals!"

"Sho…tired," Neo mumbled, her body slumping against his. "Don't…havs cryshtals."

"Yes, you do! You're just confused because you're hypothermic!" Law insisted. He repositioned her so he could get her to look into his eyes, he cupped her cold cheek and brought her gaze to his. When her eyelids started to drift closed, he patted her cheek with stiff hits. "You have to stay awake! Come on! Neo, summon your fire crystals now!"

"Wansh to shleep," Neo said, her eyelids falling closed again.

"Neo, I _order_ you to summon your fire crystals!" Law said.

"Okay," Neo said, her eyes opened up again but dropped to his chest.

Law waited. After several, heart-pounding seconds, twenty of her fire crystals appeared beside her body. Flame flickered into existence from them, radiating their warmth over his skin. He watched Neo tensely, hoping the fire was warm enough to help her. Her eyelids continued to threaten to fall closed. When they did, he patted her cheek again, waking her back up. Finally, after several minutes of heart wrenching waiting, her eyes started to show more life in them. Her solar crystal appeared, joining her fire crystals in helping healing her body. A sigh of relief escaped him. "You're going to be all right."

Neo lifted her eyes to his. A light smile appeared on her still blue lips.

"Good you're more conscious now. Summon a water crystal now. I need to get something warm into you. You can swallow, right? Cough for me," Law ordered. A few seconds passed before she did what he asked her to. She coughed and swallowed, proving she was able to do so. A water crystal then appeared in front of her face. "Heat it up and I'll tell you when you can drink it. It doesn't need to be too hot."

When water bubbled around it, Law slipped the tip of his finger into the water to test it as Neo raised the temperature on the water. Just as it got to the temperature he wanted, he pulled his finger from it. "All right. That's good. Go ahead and take a couple sips now."

Neo nodded again. Focusing as best she could, she steamed the water from the crystal into her mouth. Slowly, she drank in the hot water. Its warmth flowed over her mouth before rushing down her chest. She took a couple more drinks before she felt that her body was warm enough but kept the simmering water close. With a sigh, she rested her head against Law's shoulder. "Law…"

Law kissed her still cool forehead. "I'm right here, love. Can you tell me what happened? Did you lose control?"

"No, I didn't lose control. It was my...dream. I couldn't control my crystals in it. There was someone there. I saw a snow leopard. I think the voice that spoke to me belonged to it. They were freezing me solid. They said they were going to kill you and me," Neo replied. Instant guilt washed over her when she sensed and saw the severe alarm rising in Law. She peered deep into his worried eyes. Her eyebrows turned up in guilty yet apologetic look as she cupped his face in her hand and brushed her finger over his cheek. "I'm sorry, Law. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I just meant that I couldn't control my crystals in my dream. They wouldn't come to me when I summoned them. It was really weird. The whole thing is really weird. But you know I do have control over them."

"Don't be sorry. You did nothing wrong. And you know I'm going to worry about you no matter what. The thing that has me worried is that your dreams have never done anything like this before," Law said. He placed his hand over hers, their fingers curled around each others. His eyebrow narrowed in intense thought while placing a kiss onto her fingers.

"What is it, Law?" Neo questioned.

"I don't like that this happened to you," Law replied. "If it happens again, I'm taking you back to Luminous."

"Law, we can't go back," Neo said in an attempted to argue. "We haven't been in the New World for very long. You've just become a Warlord too. We can't just go back just because I one silly dream that-"

"Don't you argue with me on this, Neo. You could have frozen to death over a _dream_. Something's not right about that. If this were possible then the Elementals would have warned us about it. Or at least given us a book about it," Law said in his captain tone. Neo studied him. She didn't need their bond to feel his concern radiating from his soul. Both sighed at the same time. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to use my captain tone like that on you. I'm just worried. This isn't the first time you've had a dream about snow and a snow leopard. But this is the first time it's actually attacked you like this."

"I know, Law," Neo said, snuggling into his chest. "I'm not upset with you. I'm just…confused I guess. It's like that dream keeps trying to lead me somewhere since I'm always walking in them and following footprints, but they won't go through with it. They don't take me to anything but the snow leopard. I always wake up before she can attack me or do whatever it is she's trying to do. I don't feel like she's really trying to attack me despite what happened. It's more like she's trying to tell me something instead. Is that possible?"

"Your dreams never mean _nothing_ ," Law replied with a deep frown while thinking about how often her dreams or nightmares came true. He held her tightly to him and fiddled with her hair, curling her soft tresses around his fingers possessively. He eyed then ignored the burning fire crystals even though they were now making him hot. Neo was still cold to the touch and he wasn't going to move his body heat away from her. "It's obvious that something isn't right here. Your dreams are trying to warn you about something that's going to happen. But the question is what is it? And I think the crew talking nonstop about that new pirate, or whatever she is, is also influencing your dreams."

"The crew has been talking about her a lot," Neo said with a light nod. "That could be why I'm keep dreaming of a snow leopard. Or maybe she's the snow leopard in my dreams."

Law tightened his hold on her possessively, protectively. That was a high possibility. A very high possibility.

"But it doesn't explain why I can't control my crystals within the dream. Everyone always says you can control your dreams," Neo added quickly to keep him from worrying so much. "But they and nature didn't listen to me at all."

"Your subconscious is probably just messing with you. You've been a bit stressed out lately now that I'm a Warlord and the world knows your name and with all the stuff you went through in finding a secondary cook," Law said. He pulled back to inspect her again. Her skin was still tinted blue and her lips were the bluest. But she had stopped shaking so he knew she was going to be fine now. "Perhaps we should stop at an island for a while after we finish this mission the Navy gave me. Spending some time in nature might help with this."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt." Neo smiled. She then fiddled with Law's freshly trimmed goatee with a playful smile. "You know what else wouldn't hurt?"

Law chuckled while leaning down towards her. "I think I might."

Neo tilted her head just before Law pressed his lips to hers. She tensed against him when he trailed the tip of his tongue over her lips. She relaxed after a few seconds and gladly parted her lips for him. She moaned as his tongue glided over hers, multiple times, warming her up in a way her fire crystals never could.

Still not having the lungpower that he did, Law trailed kisses away from her lips and down to her sensitive neck so she could catch her breath. She tensed again from his lips working their magic on her neck. "Hn…if I'm going to get this kind of treatment, maybe I should have that dream more often."

Law grunted in disapproval to her current teasing. He placed multiple kisses on her neck while speaking to her between each one. "Don't you dare.Idon't want you hypothermic ever again."

Law broke his kissing so he could give her a stern 'I mean it' look.

She pouted at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But I have no control over this dream."

"That's your problem, love." Law smirked. "If you ever have that dream again and go hypothermic on me, I will punish you."

"Hm…you make it sound like it's a punishment I'll enjoy," Neo replied with a smirk of her own.

"Don't push your luck, _Princess_." Law said, squeezing her hip.

"With you?" Neo asked, removing the blanket from around her. She wrapped her arms back around his neck and pulled him down to the bed with her, his body half on hers. "I'll take my chances."

Law chuckled before reclaiming her lips in a passionate kiss. His tongue dancing along with hers, both playfully playing for dominance that neither of them currently wanted. Several minutes later, he pulled back to give them both time to breath for a moment. He then placed several more kisses on her lips while speaking to her. "We really should get up now. The crewwill be wonderingwhere weare if we stay here much longer."

"Says the one who keeps kissing me," Neo said. She ran her hands through his hair before tilting her head down to stop him from kissing her since she knew he wouldn't stop on his own.

"I can't help it," Law replied. He leaned more onto his side, taking his weight and warmth from her. He chuckled when she pouted and whimpered at him pulling away from her. So he slipped his arm around her body and pulled her closer to him again. He kissed her forehead. "I just love kissing you. You made me wait for so long to finally do it. Now that I am, I'm never going to stop. And I'm going to do it all the time no matter where we are or who's waiting for us."

Neo narrowed her eyebrows at him. "You mean inside of the sub or hiding from the public."

"Only for a short while," Law reminded her.

"Yeah, I know. At any rate, I'm glad to hear that. I love you kissing me too," Neo murmured while snuggling farther into his warm chest. She pressed a kiss to his tattoo before saying, "I'm still cold. Can't we just say here and cuddle for a while longer?"

"As much as I would love to stay in bed and kiss you all day, you need to get up and move around. And you need to get more warmth inside of you," Law said. He trailed his finger over her still cold skin, measuring how cold she was. She was less cold than an ice cube but still too cold for his liking. He wanted to dump her into a tub of hot water, but knew he couldn't do that to her. "You really shouldn't have taken the blanket off."

"I'm fine, Law," Neo mumbled against his skin. She then tilted her chin up to look at him. His carefully running of his eyes over her features told her that he had entered doctor mode and was thinking about keeping her in bed under several blankets. When his eyes landed on her lips, she watched his own lips turn down in a frown. That told her that her lips were still blue.

"Your lips are still blue," Law stated. With nothing else to do here, he sighed and ordered her out of bed. "Out of bed, get dressed, and let's get you some breakfast. The warm food will help."

"Okay," Neo said, easily noting him taking on his captain tone again. She reluctantly followed him off the bed when he got up, her fire crystals gliding along with her. Before he could move too far away from her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pecked his lips. Purring, she added, "Can I at least sit on your lap at breakfast? Please, love? It'll make me happy. And warm me up even faster."

"Only if you hurry up and get dressed. And put on my hoodie," Law replied back, gently rubbing his hands down her sides. He knew it was impossible for him to say no to her when she was like this. Though she never abused it and never will, she knew all she had to do what bat her pretty eyes at him to get anything she wanted. Mostly, all she ever wanted was to be near him. And that was something he was more than happy to give her.

"You're the best," Neo said, pecking his lips one more time.

Law chuckled as she quickly pulled away from him, grabbed her clothes, and entered into their bathroom. Shaking his head at how easily he caves to her, he walked over to their closet. He pulled out his black shirt that he took to wearing since he became a Warlord. He slipped it on, fixing it over his torso, and adjusted the collar to stick up like he liked it. He placed his hat on his head just as Neo exited their bathroom. "Well, that was fast."

"It was your order for it to be," Neo said walking over to him. She smacked him playfully on the stomach before grabbed his black and yellow hoodie out of the already open closet. She slipped it on then held out her arms like she was modeling it for him. "Happy?"

He chuckled at her light sassy tone she was taking with him. He put his arm around her shoulders. Kissing her hair, he led her towards the door. "Don't you dare get sassy on me. I'm doing this to keep you safe, love."

"I know." Neo put her arms around his waist. "I know."

Law kissed her once more before finally guiding her out of their bedroom. They quietly walked down the halls of the empty and quiet sub. Their silence was shattered when the chatter of the crew grew louder and louder when they got closer to the galley. They stepped inside and were greeted by their crew with cheerful good mornings and hellos as well as the smell of freshly cooked eggs, bacon, and sausage.

"About time you two got here," Archer said with a playful smirk. "For a moment there we thought the captain might have broken his promise to the Elementals."

Law huffed and frowned at his subordinate. "Watch it."

Archer kept his smile but ducked his head in response.

Neo couldn't help but giggle. It was very rare for the crew to actually tease Law like that. She loved it when they did. And they did it more often now that she and Law's relationship had finally been taken to the next level. They all knew it was in good humor. And Law would never hurt any of the crew for it, for Neo's sake. He knew how much she loved their crew.

"Well, you two got here just in time," Penguin said, setting the spatula he was holding on the counter by the stove. "Any later and you'd had to have made your own-Neo! Why are your lips blue?! What happened?!"

Penguin rushed over to his sister just as she brushed her fingertips over her lips. The lighthearted teasing atmosphere immediately turned to a serious one as Penguin tilted her chin up to get a better look at her lips. "Your skin is cold as well!"

"What happened?"

"You never get cold like that!"

"Captain!"

"Settle down, everyone," she replied. "I'm all right. It's just that dream I've been having. It was a bit more intense this time and things were a bit different. I woke up in a hypothermic state."

Her words caused the entire crew to finally notice the fire crystals hovering by her side. They all dropped their forks and stood up.

She waved at them. "It's okay. I really am just fine. Still a little cold, but fine."

Penguin released her chin and let his arm drop to his side.

Still feeling his anxiety over this, she took his hands in hers. She smiled at him. "Really, Penguin. I'm just fine. All I need is a little warm food and a warm drink. Law made sure I was fine before we left our room. You know he wouldn't have allowed me out if I want in any real danger."

"I guess that's true." Penguin circled his thumbs over her hands.

"She is fine. But if this happens again we're going back to Luminous," Law said. His authoritative tone finally got everyone to accept that Neo was really okay. They nodded in agreement on their captain's decision before settling back down to finish up their breakfast. Law then led Neo over to the table. Like he promised, he sat down and pulled her into his lap.

Topaz started to fill their plates while Penguin rushed over to get his sister some hot tea to drink.

Neo sighed. "You really don't have to keep doing this, Topaz. You're not a maid here."

"I know. But I want too," Topaz said with a smile. "I'm just use to helping out this way."

"And how are you settling in, Basil?" Neo asked when the new cook set another plate of freshly cooked eggs on the table.

"I'm doing just fine," Basil said. "The layout of the kitchen, I mean galley, was impressively designed. It's so easy to move around in. Such great flow."

"I spared no expense when I commissioned the sub," Law said.

"It shows." Basil nodded.

"Here, Neo," Penguin said, passing her a steaming cup of tea. "Drink this."

"Thank you, Penguin," Neo said. Taking the mug from him, she allowed the sweetened steam wash over her cold skin before taking a sip. A hum of delight drifted from her throat as the heat ran down her throat and over her chest.

…

"So what's the plan, Captain?" Shachi asked. Leaning against the rec. room wall, he waited for their captain to tell them what the plan was for getting onto Morning Glory Island.

"I think that a small group should scope out the island before we make any grand stand plays," Law said. Flipping through the file that the Navy had gave him, he ran his eyes over a hand drawn map that gives the location of the bombs that had been planted. "Neo and I are definitely going to be going on the island. She can easily sense where the bombs are located."

"Did the Navy give you a map of the island?" Archer asked.

"They did." Law nodded. "But this map is over a week old. More bombs could have been placed down and the Navy wouldn't know. Unless, their informant has a way to get them an updated map. Maybe we can meet up with the Navy informant when we land."

"Does the file say who that is?" Neo asked. Curled up on the couch beside him, she had her arms wrapped around his. She had her feet pulled up on the couch and was leaning against his side, her eyes on the file.

"Yes." Law nodded. "There's also a picture of him here. It says his code name is Lane Brew. He's working in a bar called the Blue Petal Bar. And we're to use the code 'Down the lane a beer brews' when we find him so he knows the Navy sent us."

"He's cute," Topaz said, leaning over the file to get a peek of the blonde man in the photo.

"He is?" Neo tilted her head and curiously observed the man.

"Don't bother trying, Neo," Shachi said. "You only have eyes for the captain. You'll never think anyone else is cute."

"I do too. I think Bepo's cute," Neo said.

"Bepo's a bear," Shachi pointed out. "You think all animals are cute."

"I think my crew is cute," Neo said.

"You're biased towards us," Shachi said.

"Oh!" Neo puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.

"Stop teasing her," Law ordered.

"Aye, Captain." Shachi smiled.

"So who's all going onto the island?" Bepo asked.

"I'll be glad to volunteer to stay on the sub," Conner said.

"Of course you do," Archer said. "You're lazy."

"I am not," Conner said. "I just have nothing to give when it comes to bombs. And I'm not the best at covert missions either."

"Don't worry about that for right now," Law said. "I'll decide who's going when we get closer to our destination. I think only four of us should go ashore to gather information. Anymore than that people will get suspicious. The island isn't very big. It only has a little over thirty thousand people on it. That should be enough that people don't recognize us being outsiders."

"Well, since we have nothing better to do right now," Shachi said, heading for the door. "I think I'm going to train a bit."

"Mind if I join you?" Basil asked. "I really need to get familiar with everyone's training styles. By the way, what exactly does the crew specialize in?"

"We focus mostly on the martial arts," Shachi said, leading the way out of the room. "A few of us have Haki as well, but the captain, Neo, and Topaz are our heavy hitters. Our plans are always planned around them."

"I see," Basil said, turning down the hallway.

"I hope they're not too hard on him," Neo said as the rest of the crew filed out of the rec. room.

"He'll be fine," Law said, his eyes still locked onto the file in his hand.

"Are you worried about the mission?" Neo asked.

"No." Law closed the file and sat it down on the couch beside him. "I think this one will be easy enough to take care of with our abilities. I'm just worried about you."

"And?" Neo probed.

"If this Spotted Death and the leopard from your dream are the same then it's highly possible that she's going to target you," Law said. "The newspaper said she was seen on Bolt Island then disappeared. She's coming after us."

"Probably," Neo said. "But she's only made the newspapers a couple of times. She can't be all that strong."

"She's strong enough to take down a pirate crew and take over a Navy ship," Law said. Narrowing his eyebrows, he glared down at the floor. "And she did that all on her own."

"But she's a snow leopard," Neo said.

"Think about what you just said." Law brought his eyes to her.

Neo blinked at him. She had no clue what he meant. "What do you mean?"  
"You said _snow leopard_ ," Law said.

Neo's eyebrows lifted on her forehead. "She's not a Devil Fruit user. But how do you know that?"

"Zoan Devil Fruit users become at least ten times their size and become more animalistic in their features when they transform," Law said. "Spotted Death maintains her human size. She still has features of a snow leopard, but that's all. And her coloring isn't true to the animal she represents while Zoan Devil Fruit users are."

"I didn't even notice that," Neo said. "So then what is she?"

"Possibly another magical creature that Kailen warned us about," Law said.

"That's possible," Neo said. "But nothing of that gives any clue of why she would want to kill us."

"Maybe it's a revenge thing," Law said. "From someone we took down. Or possible related to one of the people I took hearts from before coming a Warlord."

"If that was true then why is she hiding?" Neo asked.

"I don't know," Law said. "But I do know that I do not want you off this sub without me."

"Law," Neo said.

"Don't, Neo," Law said. "If this person is really attacking you in your dreams then they will attack you when she sees you. I'm not taking the risks. You're either with me or you're banished from stepping off the sub completely."

"Okay," Neo said with a sigh. "Okay." She snuggled closed against his arm.

"I'm sorry, love," Law said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "I just want to know that you're safe. I hate it when people target you."

"I know," Neo said. "I hate it when you're targeted too." She pecked his lips. "So are you going to start on formulating a plan for this mission?"

"Yes," Law replied. "What are you going to do?"

"I think I'll wonder down to the training room and watch the crew for a while," Neo said.

Law hummed in response while eyeing her lightly tinted blue lips. She had warmed up to the point she didn't need to use her fire crystals anymore, but she was still slightly cool to the touch. "All right. But keep yourself warm. If you start getting cold again, come to me immediately."

"I will," Neo said, brushing her nose against his.

"You better. Because if you don't and I have to come to you I will lock you in the infirmary and forbid you from leaving the sub," Law warned.

"Oh?" Neo kneeled upon the couch before straddling over his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she repetitively kissed his lips. "Will you lock yourself up with me?"

"No," Law said, his hands gripped her hips before he glided them up the back of the hoodie she as wearing.

"Are you sure about that?" Neo took his bottom lip in between her teeth and lightly pulled.

"Yes," Law said firmly.

Neo sighed. "You're no fun."

"Not when it comes to your health," Law said.

"I know," Neo said. "And don't worry. If I get cold again, I'll come snuggled with you."

"Good girl." Law pecked her lips once more before she finally stood up and left the room.

Neo turned the corner before descending down the stairs. Now on the fourth floor, she wondered passed the storages rooms until she got to the training room. Peaking inside, she found Basil was already in a sparring session with Shachi. Her brother was slowly going through some martial arts moves to give Basil a chance to study how the moves were suppose to be made. Sitting down on a bench near the door, Neo continued to watch them spar. She was worried that Basil was going to have some trouble adjusting to the martial arts. But when the man grabbed Shachi and easily flipped him over onto his back, her worries vanished a little. She still had worries about him since he was new, but he proved himself to be strong enough.

"Dang!" Shachi said from where he laid sprawled out on the floor. "I guess you're going to be all right after all."

"Lifting hale bales for your entire life allowed for muscles to be built up," Basil said. He offered a hand to Shachi and pulled him back to his feet. "I know I still have a long way to go before I'm caught up with you all. I might have good body strength but martial arts is new to me."

"Don't worry about that," Shachi said. "We'll train you up nicely."

"And you'll have Neo watching over you," Archer said. The men glanced over at Neo who was intently watching them. "She always watches out for us."

"That's good to know," Basil said. "She must be very good at both long range and close range combat."

"She's very good at it," Archer said. "Though she sticks mostly to long range as she doesn't like to take the chance of getting touched."

"She really doesn't like getting touched that much, huh?" Basil asked.

"Yeah." Shachi nodded. "Not until she gets to know someone."

"Will she be all right with me in the galley?" Basil asked.

"She'll be fine," Shachi said.

"If she wasn't fine with you she never would have suggested you to be our new cook," Archer said. "You'll just need to get to know her more. That'll happen when you start cooking with her."

"Can't wait," Basil said.

"Let's get back to training then," Shachi said, taking his fighting stance. "We have a lot of work to do."

Neo continued to watch her crew spar with each for a couple hours before she wondered away from the rec. room and all of the man sweat that was hanging in the air. Making her way around the sub, she asked her crew if they had any requests for lunch then she made her way to her and Law's room where she found his hunched over his desk scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. When he pushed his chair back, she sat down on his lap and kissed his cheek. "How's it going?"  
"All right," Law said. "I think the hardest part is going to be getting onto the island without being seen. I mean our ship. They'll be on the look out."

"I can pull up some fog and a storm. It'll be fine," Neo said, nuzzling against his neck.

"Yeah," Law said. "It'll still put the enemy on guard. We'll have to be careful. And we won't be able to wear our Jolly Roger while we're gathering information. I don't like the idea of our crew not being close enough if we need them."

"Well, if the island is workable, I could rearrange some rocks and trees to shield the sub," Neo said.

"That might work," Law mumbled. He stared in thought at his plans before him before looking up at her. "Did you need something?"  
"I've just been asking the crew if they had any requests for lunch," Neo said. "A lot have asked for some honey rolls. Is there anything you'd like?"

"Just whatever you feel like making," Law said.

"You seem to be having a craving for rice," Neo said. "Would you like onigiri or some rice and veggie dish?"

"Rice and veggies sound great," Law said. "Are you going to be all right with Basil in the galley?"

"I'll be fine," Neo said. "He's already been warned about how I feel about being touched. He'll respect that."

Law nodded, his eyes going to her lips. They were almost back to their normal color. "You're not cold anymore."

"Not really," Neo said. "Just a little chilly. But once I get into the galley and cooking I know I'll warm up the rest of the way. It always gets really warm in there." Tilting his chin up, she smiled. "But until then."

Law smiled before placing his lips over hers in a sweet, ghosting kiss. She instantly parted for him. Allowing him to glide his tongue inside of her mouth to taste every inch of it. He slipped his hand back under her hoodie, teasing her skin with his calloused hands, and teasing her by fingering her bra.

She hummed against his lips. "If only you would."

"You're not ready," Law replied.

"And that sucks," Neo said.

"Watch your language, little girl," Law said.

"Sorry." Neo breathed, pressing her forehead against his. "I know I'm not ready. I just wish I was. I know you are."

"I'll be ready when you are," Law said. "You know I'll wait for you forever."

"It better not be forever." Neo frowned.

Law chuckled. "Don't worry, love. It won't be. You should get going now."

"I guess so," Neo said. "I need to start mixing the dough if I'm going to have them done by lunch."

"You're not going to use your crystals?" Law asked.

"Not this time," Neo said. "I think I want to take my time and get to know Basil a little more."

"That's a good idea," Law said. "When is he joining you?"  
"I'm not sure," Neo said. "He's sparring with Shachi right now. So I figure he'd take a shower and then a quick nap before coming to the galley to start lunch."

"Are you planning on telling him?" Law asked.

Neo stilled, thinking of his question. She had already admitted to Basil that she wasn't human. But she still had everything else she needed to tell him. She whispered, "I don't know."

"It's okay if you don't want to tell him everything yet," Law said, rubbing her back. "But you know he's going to be curious now that he knows you're not human."

"I know," Neo said. "I'll have to think about it. Maybe I'll just wait and see what happens."

Law nodded. "I'm here if you need me."

"I know." Neo pecked his lips then left for the galley.

Once in one of her favorite comfort zones, Neo set out to make the dough for her rolls. Having made this recipe so many times she bypassed the cookbooks and grabbed the big mixing bowl from one of the bottom cabinets. She sat it on the counter while using her wind crystals to gather up the ingredients she needed. A soft hum played on her lips as she poured in the ingredients into the bowl. By the time the dough had risen, forty five minutes later, Basil walked into the room. "Oh, Basil, I didn't expect you would get here so quickly."

"Am I bothering you?" Basil asked.

"No." Neo shook her head. "I was just thinking you would take a nap after fighting."

"I thought about it," Basil said, walking closer. He paused, keeping the island counter between them two. "But I wasn't that tired. I didn't do much."

"I see." Neo grabbed a small fist full of dough, rolled it out, and then placed it on the baking sheet. She could feel his eyes on her, watching her, questioning who exactly she is. "You want to know."

"I'm not trying to pry," Basil said. "It's just…you have me curious now. I never paid much attention to you and your crew before. But now that I've seen what you can do and can feel that you're not human…"

Neo swallowed. She glanced up at the door when Law walked it.

"Captain, something wrong?" Basil asked.

"Nothing," Law replied. He walked over and leaned against the counter. His eyes remained on Neo.

"Okay," Neo said. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell him the truth." She took a deep breath and released it, summoning one each of her crystals. "The truth is I'm an Elemental. We control the elements through our crystals."

"So Topaz also has these?" Basil asked, eyeing all the crystals. "I finally noticed she wasn't human a little while ago."

"Topaz can only wield the fire crystals," Neo said. "I have all of them because I'm…their royal."

"Your royalty?!" Basil bounced his eyes between the two pirates.

"That's right." Neo summoned her wings. "My solar crystal here and my wings are symbols of my birth right."

"Does this have anything to do with you being so skittish?" Basil asked.

Neo nodded, her crystals vanished. "It does. Shortly before I was born a man called Atlas betrayed our people and used the darkness crystal to take over our home island Luminous. The darkness crystal turns my people dark. It basically poisons them. My parents and adopted brother, Kailen, were able to escape with the help of my godfather Shanks."

"Red Haired Shanks is your godfather?!" Basil's eyes widened. His head spun, causing him to use the counter to keep on his feet. "What the heck have I gotten myself into?"

"Godfather and his crew won't hurt any of my crew," Neo said, flittering her wings. "Despite not being Elementals they are loyal to me. And Godfather would never do anything to upset me. Anyway, I was born on his ship when they were trying to escape. They asked him to watch over my brother and me. But the Elementals were too much. Shanks had my brother take me and run. While trying to escape, Kailen lost me. I ended up growing up around humans who knew I was different. So because of that I was treated poorly until Law found me. He and the crew raised me since I've been with them for these past few years. I learned about my heritage when my people finally found me. Once I purified the darkness crystal we ended up spending some time on Luminous so I could learn about where I came from. Then after a commitment ceremony for me and Law and the crew, we set sail again."

"Wow," Basil whispered. "No wonder you are the way you are. Anyone would be. But how did people not know what you were?"

"It's kind of hard to explain. Most people are only subconsciously aware of my differences. They don't _know_ really that I am different. But stronger people do. They just can sense it like you did," Neo said. "Or if they have Observation Haki they can see my spirit change through colors that represent nature."

"I see," Basil said. "So this means most people don't know about you or your people?"

"Yes." Neo nodded. "Only few know about us. Some Elementals even live among humans. But none of them will reveal where our home island is."

The room went quiet. Basil carefully thought over everything he had been told. "You don't have to worry. I won't tell anyone about this."

"I know." Neo smiled. "I trust you after all."

"I'm glad," Basil said. "Shall we get cooking?"

"Yeah." Neo nodded again. She shared a smile with Law before he left the room.

"I see now why he's so protective of you," Basil said as he helped Neo roll out the rolls.

"He and the crew want me to have fun and good times since I didn't get it when I grew up," Neo said. "They've been great. They've taught me a lot. How to read, write, how to fight, how to love…I'll do anything I can to protect them."

"I'll glad you told me," Basil said.

"I am too," Neo said. "I wasn't sure if I was going to yet, but I guess the timing was right. I should warn you though that I might not make it to help out with breakfast much."

"Why?" Basil smirked. "You and the captain _sleep_ in a lot?"

"No. We can't have sex until we're married."

"Seriously? Wait you said this before. But why?"

"My purity is connected to my solar crystal. If I have sex before marriage then I'll lose over half of my magic. It'll put me in danger," Neo said.

"I see," Basil said.

"I just have nightmares about my past occasionally," Neo said. "It affects my sleep and I sleep in then."

"I understand," Basil said. "I can handle breakfast easily then. And I'm sure Penguin or someone else would help me if I need it."

"They will." Neo nodded. "Penguin, while not a lover of cooking as we are, was the cook for the crew before I joined. We spent a lot of time in the galley. He helped me learn how to cook. He was also the main one that tutored me."

"You two seem rather close," Basil said.

"We are," Neo said. "Our relationship started off a bit rock."

"Oh? How so?"

"I was unconscious when Law first found me," Neo said. "When I woke up I freaked out and ended up kicking him at one point. I knocked him down."

"I can see you doing that easily with your crystals," Basil said.

"It wasn't with my crystals," Neo said. "At that time, I refused to use my crystals because I accidently killed an entire island of people with them but for one boy when I was falsely accused of hurting that kid."

"You've really had a hard life," Basil said.

"Yeah. But it's gotten a lot better since Law took me in." Neo nodded.

"Well, I'm glad that you are happy now," Basil said.

"Yeah. I am too," Neo said.


	9. Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Eira's hairs stood up all over her fur-covered body. Her ears twitched at the thickness that settled into her soul. She could tell that it was filled with dangers even before she saw the island of Morning Glory. Her suspicions were confirmed when she got to the landmass. The docks were completely empty of people and ships while the town was sparkling with lights. She sniffed the air noting the lack of food on the wind. She glanced over at the sun. At it's current level it suggested it was about five twenty in the evening. The island inhabitants should have been cooking dinner by now.

Turning back to the island she saw movement on the rocky cliff. Zeroing in on it with her leopard sight, she found several people were scurrying around the cliffs and beaches that looked to be holding guns and staring in her direction. A tingle settled in the back of her mind causing her to sail on passed the island. There was no way she would be able to dock with all those people carefully observing her ship.

Her tail swished back and forth. She was going to have to sneak onto the island somehow. Growling, she watched the island fade away from her sight. Once she knew she was far enough away she walked over to the edge of the ship and jumped up on the railing.

Her chest hollowed. The warmth that Melody and Jon gave her was long gone. All she had left of them was this ship. And now she was going to abandon it. She was cutting the last string that tied her to them. Her emotions wobbled. Her fingers curled into her palms, breaking the skin. Iron mixed in with the salty air battling for dominance like her wavering emotions. This shouldn't have been so hard. She knew getting close to people was dangerous. For their safety she had to cut ties with them completely and forget they even exist.

She glanced up at the sails, wondering if she should furl them or leave them as they were. It's possible that someone would come by and probably take the ship with them. So she decided to furl the sails. Leaping up to the mast, she pulled up the sails, lowered the anchor, and then jumped back onto the railing.

"Well, it was a short trip, but you have served me well," Eira said to the ship. "I'm sorry for having to abandon you like this. I'm sure someone will find you."

Eira flicked her tail over the railing. Ice rained down from it, coating the side of the ship until it formed a solid mass for her to stand on over the water. She jumped down to it. Lifting her hands, the sides of the ice mass floated upwards to form the walls and a ceiling. Next she lowered her ice shield into the water, eying the ice carefully to make sure no water was able to seep inside with her. It was stable.

Looking to the wall in the direction of the island, she walked towards it. With each step she took the wall extended, paving a perfectly hidden path for her. A few minutes later vibrations from her ice hitting the island tingled her feet. Looking up to the ceiling, she imagined the ice lifting her up towards the sky. Closing her eyes she felt out for the moment her structure broke the surface. A rush of water passed over her ice shield, transferring to her skin letting her know she had broken the surface. She opened her eyes. The ice ceiling followed her example and opened.

Holding still, she listened for any sounds of movement above her. The waves smashing up against the cliff was the only sound that she heard. The ice snapped and crackled as she fed more into it, pushing herself upward. Three feet from the top, she paused to listen and sniff for people above her. A faint trace of a human was around, but it was giving way to the smell of pine trees. It was safe to land here. Whoever was here before was long gone.

She pushed herself on up. Placing her foot on the warm rock, she jumped onto the island and dashed into the forest, carefully sniffing out for danger she could sense below the ground when her hairs stood up. Jumping, she grabbed onto a branch and swung herself up. She stilled, opening her senses to the forest around her. A bluebird chirped forty yards from her. A couple squirrels bounced on some dried fallen leaves before scurrying up a near by tree. The wind blew pine, oak, and acorn trees to her but still no smells of food came from the town. Nor did she smell or hear anything that resembled a human. Still she stayed in the tree for a couple of hours.

Orange and red colors of the setting sun bleeding in through the leaves slowly gave way to the darkness of night. Birds chirping faded out letting the crickets sing in their place. She jumped back down to the forest floor. Crickets silenced at the disturbance before they sung again. Her eyes trailed over the dark trees before taking her first step towards the edge of the forest. Again her fur stood up. More danger was just below the surface. Carefully, she navigated her way through the woods. Reaching the edge, she hid behind a tree and peered down into the town. "I wonder why I keep sensing danger under the ground. Are there traps?"

The wind pulled the smell of humans to her nose but the scents were faint and few. Only ten different human smells were present. Her hairs prickled. It was odd for any island to be this silent. She had to find out what was going on here. And that meant shedding her snow leopard form for her human form.

Exhaling, she let her human extremities replace her snow leopard ones. Fixing her cloak to cover her body, she stepped out from behind the tree and made her way down to the town. Her eyebrows drew together when she had reached the edges of the buildings. It almost looked like a bomb had gone off in the town. Walls were missing from certain buildings, doors and windows were hanging off their hinges, the dirt road had several potholes in it, and shattered glass was scattered over the ground. On impulse, she sniffed the air for any signs of a bomb having gone off. She found none. So if it had it happened long before now.

Reaching around for her dagger, she patted it to make sure it was still in place in her belt. She hoped she didn't have to use it. She walked on. Carefully scanning the seemingly deserted town until her eyes landed on a bulletin board with her wanted poster on it. Growling at it, she ripped it off the board and crumpled it before slamming it on the ground and stomping on it. "Stupid marines! Spotted Death! That stupid nickname again! Completely and totally tasteless! Morons! Learn how to properly name people if you're going to do it!"

"You shouldn't make light of that pirate," a man said.

Eira jolted. She had let someone sneak up on her. Fire flared up in her chest as looked to see the man leaning against the bulletin board with a cocky smirk on his face. She eyed him carefully in case she needed his physical details for later. His smirk produced dimples on his cheeks. His hair was black, smoothed back as if he was getting ready to go on a date. His eyes were sparkling green that held an abyss of confidence. She wanted to punch him for it. She carefully sniffed the air for gunpowder on him but only smelled some rich cologne. But that didn't mean he wasn't armed. Forcing back the desire to rip his lips and eyes off his body to remove the smirk and confidence in him, she asked, "Why?"

"Because she took down an entire pirate crew _and_ an entire Navy ship," he said.

A twinge of pride swirled through her chest at the memory and the looks on their faces when she took them down. She forced it away. Pride only made you grown cocky and give you an unneeded boost of confidence. She didn't need any of that right now. "Maybe she had her reasons for doing what she did. Ever think of that?"

"I highly doubt it," the man said. "Anyone opposing the Navy and the government are always up to no good."

"Yeah, because the Navy and government are never up to no good," Eira murmured to herself. Petrichor replaced his cologne. She looked up to see the stars weren't visible. A single ran drop hit her forehead.

"Well, a sweet little thing like you had better get home," the man said, running his eyes over her cloaked body. "It's going to rain."

Eira huffed. She didn't need him to tell her that. She was bonded with nature since she was part of it. There was no way he felt it before she did. Still, she pulled her hood up over her head and said, "I might as well."

"Have a good evening, Miss," he said.

Eira rolled her eyes. She could feel and hear the lust in his voice as she walked away from him. And she could feel his eyes on her backside as she walked away. If only she could attack him. But now that she was here, she needed to keep a low profile until the Heart Pirates showed up.

She paused and looked around. Unless they got here before she did. They could easily hide their sub under the water and no one would even know they were around. And with Neo's abilities she could easily sneak her crew onto the island without anyone seeing them. Rain drummed down on her shoulders and head. If they were here there was no way she was going to be able to look for them right now. She would only draw suspicion to herself if she went into each and every building here looking for them. She would just have to wait and see if she could run into them at some point. For now she needed to get her hands on some glue and find shelter. So she continued on down the dirt rode. She passed several taverns, shops, and a few hotels, all lacking the liveliness of previous islands. A shiver ran up her spine. Pushing it aside she stepped into the supply store and looked around.

She found a few people inside. They all glanced over at her with nervous looks before hunkering down and wondering the isles. The old man behind the counter spared her one glance before turning to a woman holding one can of soup. Her eyebrows bristled. The people seemed oddly thin to her. Her eyes drifted to the shelves as she made her way farther into the building. The shelves were almost bare of food. Luckily, glue was in full supply. Reaching out, she picked it up and tucked it under her cloak before she continued on around the room like she was still looking for a certain item.

"Can I help you with something?" the old man asked when she roamed close to the check out counter.

"I'm just killing time," Eira said. "Waiting for a friend and escaping the rain."

"Ah, yes." The man nodded and looked to the rain-streaked window. "We were going to get rain today." He turned his eyes to his next customer. "Did you find everything you need?"

Eira took the time to slip out of the store. Glancing down both directions of the now muddied rode, she turned and headed back to her left, the direction she came. Mud clung to her feet making her glad it was a summer island she had landed on. Turning her attention to finding shelter, she was looked for a building she could stay in and not be discovered. Despite the damage that had been done to the town she could easily tell it was a lovely place to live. All the houses had small yards around them. Perfect for kids to play in. If they were even allowed to play outside. She paused at a simple white house. The curtain was open, showing her the almost bare living room. Two kids were sitting on the floor with one wooden boat between them. A worn out woman walked over to them carrying a bowl in each hand. She watched the woman hand the bowls to the kids. The children devoured the food in seconds giving her the impression that not much was inside of the bowls. The kids then looked up at their mom, holding the bowl up in a gesture of asking for more food. The mother sadly shook her head and took the bowls from them before disappearing from her view.

Shaking her head, Eira walked away. The houses quickly gave way to what she assumed were office buildings since they had multiple levels. These buildings had words painted across them in black. One held the warning 'Obey and you live'. The hairs on her arms stood up. The wheels in her mind began to spin. Whatever was happening on this island it was become more and more obvious that these people were being oppressed. But why were they being oppressed? And who was oppressing them?

"Stop it!" Eira punched the building. "This isn't your problem! You have a job here to do yourself! Leave this mess to the Navy or whoever!"

She stomped away from the building. Looking up, she found herself staring up at another building. The building seemed to be in fairly good condition with only broken windows but no lights were on at all and the main door was half hanging off its hinges. She stepped inside and listened for movement. When she didn't hear anything she sniffed the air for scents but found only that of mice and rats. This place had been abandoned some time ago. It was perfect for her. Stepping farther into the building, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She had entered into some kind of lobby. A reception desk was in the middle of the floor but no other signs of anything that could suggest what this building was for.

She maneuvered over to the staircase and headed upstairs. As she wondered up to the next level, she tried to figure out what this building was used for. Reaching the second floor she found it void of everything, even spare rooms. She left it and headed on upstairs. Floor after floor revealed the same as the previous. They all were stripped clean of objects.

Reaching the sixth floor she found a single desk a few feet from a window. She walked over to it and peered outside. The rain had lightened up so the sea was visible from this high up but she had no idea if she would be able to see the Heart Pirates coming in, assuming they weren't already there. At least now she had faces to the people she was searching for. They were no longer ghosts in her mind. And soon she would be face to face with them.

With nothing else to do but wait for her prey to show up, she pushed the desk closer to the window, sat down on top of it and pulled out her notebook. Tucking her feet up under her legs, she opened the glue and started applying it carefully to the back of the picture before carefully smoothing it onto her notebook. She then recapped the glue and waited for it to dry.

…

With her arms crossed over the railing, Neo started out at the sea. Morning Glory was a mere six miles away from their current location. Soon she, Law, Archer, and Topaz would be heading onto the island. Her mind spun with Law's laid out plan. He always carefully planned out their movements. Everything would be fine. First, once they were in a mile of the island, she was going to create a fog that would allow them to sneak right up to the island. She would then fly them to the island while the sub submerged and the crew would wait for her to lift the sub to the surface when they were needed. She raked her fingers over her skin at the thought of not having a transponder snail with them. They were going to be cut off from the rest of the crew.

"You're going to end up with a head full of grey hair if you keep worrying like this," Penguin said.

Neo giggled as her brother came to her side. She wrapped her arms around his and lean her head on his shoulder. "I won't be grey for quite some time no matter how much I worry."

"If you were a normal Elemental," Penguin joked. "You know everything will be just fine."

"I know." Neo nodded. "I wish we had a bomb expert on the crew."

"I don't think that's on the top of any pirate crews' list," Penguin said. "If it was, you know the captain would have one."

Neo hummed in thought. "Perhaps we should get one."

"Oh? Are you asking for a new crewmate?" Penguin smirked.

"No!" Neo growled. "I've been through one new crewmate enough for a while! I don't want another new one for at least three years!"

Penguin laughed. "You know that won't happen."

"I can try," Neo said.

"That you can," Penguin said before kissing her hair. "I'm sure the captain will give you plenty of time to recover from recruiting Basil. You still adjusting well to him?"

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "He's great."

"I'm glad," Penguin said.

For the next few moments they enjoyed each other's company. It was fairly rare for them to have alone time like this without the crew around. So they relaxed and watched the endless blue sky and sea before them. Their contentment was interrupted by Topaz. She said, "Come on back inside, Neo. We need to get you ready for landfall."

"Okay," Neo said. Both she and Penguin lifted off the railing and headed back inside. "Have you decided what I'm going to wear?"

"After a fairly intense conversation with the captain," Topaz said, "we finally agreed to go with a casual gang like look."

"Casual gang?" Neo looked at her sister.

"You'll see." Topaz winked.

"Why am I getting the feeling that the captain doesn't like what you have planned for our favorite girl?" Penguin asked. "And why wasn't I involved?!"

Topaz laughed as they headed down the stairs. "Because I can get away with this a lot easier than you can." She winked at him. "Trust me. You're going to love this when you see it."

"Okay," Penguin said. His boots clunked in heavy disappointment on the steal floor leading to the captain and Neo's shared bedroom.

"My poor baby," Neo cooed before slipping into the room.

Penguin followed her but as abruptly cut off by Topaz stepping in his way. "Hey!"

"Sorry," Topaz said, half closing the door to the room. "Girls only now."

"Aw, come on," Penguin said. "Why can't I watch?"

"Because it's a surprise for you all as well." Topaz closed the door and turned to Neo. "Let's get started. Shall we?"

"What are you going to do?" Neo asked.

"First, I'm going to braid your hair," Topaz said. "It might be a bit uncomfortable for you, but it has to be done. We need you to look as differently as possible."

"Okay," Neo said. She walked over to the bed and sat down. Pulling her hairbrush off the nightstand, she handed it to Topaz as the fire Elemental sat down beside her. She then turned her back to Topaz.

"I'll make this as loose as I can so it shouldn't bother you all that much," Topaz said, stroking the bristles through Neo's soft hair. Before long she divided up parts of Neo's hair and braided it.

While she waited patiently, Neo sensed out where Law was. She found him down in the control room. She figured he was going over the plans again with Jean Bart. Since Archer was going with them the giant man was going to be at the controls of the sub. The thought eased her worrying a bit. Having an experienced pirate like Jean Bart on the sub was a godsend. With his experience on their side the crew had a higher chance of surviving whatever came their way when she and Law weren't there to protect them.

"There!" Topaz announced. "It's braided!"

Neo lifted her hand to her head. The braid started almost at the top of her head and all the way down to the ends where it was tied off with a small, dark red ribbon.

"Now let's get you dressed," Topaz said.

Neo turned just in time to see her pick up a bag off the floor that she didn't even noticed before. She watched as Topaz pulled out the items inside and handed them to her. Unfolding them she found that they were black jeans, a dark red tank top, and a matching black mini vest. "I'm wearing this?"

"You are." Topaz nodded, leaning back on her hands. "Put it on. I need to see if it's the right size or if I need to adjust it."

Neo stood up and stripped her current top layer of clothes and replaced them with the new ones. She pulled the jeans on first, noticing how form fitting they were. Next came the tank top. It was shorter than it looked. She twitched upon noticing her suicide attempts were now showing. Still she completed the outfit and pulled on the vest. Shifting on her feet awkwardly, she said, "So? How do I look?"

"Amazingly cute," Topaz said, eyeing the outfit. "The captain's going to love it."

"When did you pick up this outfit?" Neo asked.

"I found it in a store back on Basil's home island," Topaz said.

"And you just picked it up? Why?" Neo tilted her head in confusion.

"Because I know the captain wouldn't allow you to buy something like this on your own." Topaz stood up and started tugging on the shirt, adjusting it more to her liking. "So I decided to get it for you. You need a bit more variety in your wardrobe for moments like this. Something girlier and less tomboy. Covert operations mean you need look different than you normally do. And since you normally wear you hair down and dress like a boy, I pulled an outfit together would basically be the opposite of what you usually wear. This way you won't be easily noticed."

"But the opposite of a tomboy style is a girly style," Neo said. "This doesn't exactly show that. It's more like a rebel style."

"True." Topaz adjusted the vest. "However, the captain absolutely forbid me to dress you in cute clothes since you're leaving the sub." She snorted. "That _boy_ is far too protective of you at times."

"Maybe," Neo said. "But I really wouldn't want to wear cute girly clothes in front of guys outside of the crew."

"I know, I know," Topaz said. "You're not comfortable with other men hitting on you. It's understandable. That's why I got something I knew you would easily grow comfortable with. But I also wanted an outfit that would drive the captain crazy with jealousy."

"You're amazing, Topaz," Neo said. "I'm really glad you decided to come with us."

"It's my pleasure, Neo," Topaz said with a smile.

"And I think the crew has been a bad influence on you," Neo said.

Topaz laughed. "You're probably right. I never would do anything like this if we were still back on Luminous." Her eyes dropped to Neo's stomach, to her scars. "I can cover those with make up if you want."

"I don't know," Neo said. "Maybe people won't notice. They've faded a lot since Healer Zinnia gave me that cream. Plus people will probably just think they came from fights."

"All right." Topaz nodded. "If you change your mind, let me know. I'll be off now unless you need something else from me."

"I think I'm good," Neo said. "I'll just wait for Law to come up here."

"See you later then." Topaz waved and left the room.

Neo waited for her sister to be completely gone before heading for the bathroom. Summoning a wind crystal, she lifted herself up to see her outfit in the mirror. She tilted herself and looked at her reflection in consideration. Topaz was right. She did look a lot different like this. She remained staring at herself as she felt Law coming closer. A few minutes later, she pulled herself away from the mirror and stepped back into their room.

Her eyes went right to Law. He was wearing his black jacket, yellow shirt, and his normal spotted pants, which she thought would be too easily spotted. But he assured her that it would be fine since he wasn't wearing his hat and their Jolly Roger. Her stomach sank at the same time her lips curled down. The missing Jolly Roger made Law look really odd.

"Hey." Law tapped her nose then eyed her outfit disapprovingly. "What's with the frown?"

Neo blinked, unaware that she was frowning. "You just look a bit odd without our Jolly Roger. I know it'll help hide our identities, but I don't like it."

"I'm still me." Law pulled her to his chest and kissed her hair. "This doesn't change anything. You know that."

"I know." Neo wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm just nervous."

"Everything will be just fine," Law said. "If things get too bad you know I'll give the order to retreat."

"I know, I know," Neo said. Tilting her eyes up to him, she smiled. "You're still cute as ever."

Law chuckled. "And so are you."

"Kiss me," Neo said.

Obediently, Law leaned down and captured her lips. His cracked lips brush roughly over hers.

She hummed and pulled back from him. Summoning her solar crystal, she spread its healing glow over his lips. "Your lips are so dry. Why haven't you put anything on them?"

"Sorry," Law said. "I have been meaning to. But since they're not hurting I haven't bothered."

Neo growled. "Hurting or not you need to take care of this lips of yours. What if they got infected or something?!"

"You know I won't let it get that far," Law said, running his hand down her back. "So don't be angry with me."

Neo sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated, nervous, and just want this ordeal to be over. It's too soon to be doing something like this after adding Basil to the crew."

"I know, love," Law said. "And I promise you won't have to go through anything else for a while after this."

"And you'll give me lots and lots of snuggles?" Neo tightened her arms around him, flushing their bodies together.

"Absolutely," Law said. "I'll even carry you everywhere for as long as you want."

"You are amazing," Neo said.

"As are you," Law said, leaning down to her lips again. "Now let's see if my lips are smooth."

"Oh, I know they are," Neo said just before Law's lips met hers. She slipped her tongue into his warm, wet cavern. Swirling her muscle around his before pulling back for air. "I really love your kisses."

Law chuckled. "Just wait until we're married. I'll show you other things you'll like even more."

"Law!" Heat rose on her cheeks.

"Still so innocent," Law said.

Neo slipped her arms up around his neck when his body bent down. With a light jump, she hooked her legs around his waist and buried her burning face into his neck. "Why do you have to tease me like that?!"

"I love seeing you blush," Law said, heading for the door.

"You're such a meanie!" Neo said. "It's not my fault I blush easily!"

"I know," Law said. "I'm sorry for teasing you."

"That's better." Neo lifted off his neck and smiled at him before pecking his lips. "Let's forget the mission and stay here."

"You know we can't," Law said.

"I had to try." Neo pouted.

Law opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

Neo's eyes flittered to his nodachi before the wall blocked her view from it. "I don't like you not taking your sword."

"It would be too recognizable," Law said. "Besides, you know I don't need it to preform my Room attacks. And you can always create me a sword out of stone if I really need one."

"I'll keep reminding myself of that," Neo said, resting her chin on his shoulder. She continued to watch as the sub passed by her. Soon they were up on the main deck where a few of their crewmembers were waiting for them.

"What?!" Penguin shrieked. "What in the world is Neo wearing?!"

"Looks like clothes to me," Shachi said.

"Not what I meant!" Penguin glared at his friend. "You can see skin!"

"So? She has cute skin," Shachi said.

Penguin whipped his attention to Topaz. "How dare you put her in such clothes?!"

"It's for the mission, Penguin." Topaz beamed. "I had to do it."

"Yeah, right," Penguin said.

"You're just upset that you didn't have anything to do with dressing Neo like this," Shachi said.

"Just shut up." Penguin crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's time for us to get going," Law said. "You all know what to do. Stand by and wait for us to get back."

"Aye aye, Captain," Shachi said. "You can count on us."

"You all be have yourselves," Neo said. "I don't want to hear anymore fighting."

"Yes, ma'am," the crew said.

"Oh, my poor babies," Neo said, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I don't want to leave them!"

"Neo," Law said. "It's only for a little while."

She tightened her limbs around him. "I know. But you know how much I hate being away from you all."

"Come on." Law patted her back. "We need to get going."

Neo gave him a raspberry in response, but summoned her wind crystals and started dropping the temperature until a thick fog appeared around them.

"Our contact will be in the southern town," Law said.

"Right." Neo wrapped her winds around their small group and lifted them off the sub. She watched the yellow water vessel and her crew disappear into the fog before focusing completely on getting them onto the island. _'Oh man. The ground has been disturbed a lot. There are holes all over the place.'_

 _'And that means just as many bombs.'_

"What's going on?" a man from the fog asked. "Where did this fog come from?"

Another man chuckled. "Didn't you go to school? It's made when-"

"Shut up! That's not what I meant!"

 _'Neo, set us down in the town. Preferably in an alleyway so we won't be spotted.'_

 _'I'll try. I should be able to sense a place. But I won't be able to see if anyone's there.'_

 _'Just do your best.'_

 _'I can sense a dog near by. I can use that.'_

 _'Then do it.'_

Neo continued to fly them in the fog as it moved over the southern town. Once they were hovering over the town she sent her thoughts to the dog. The dog obeyed her command and went into the alley. Giving her the all clear, she lowered them down to the ground. Releasing Law, she bent down and thanked the dog with a friendly scratch behind his ears. "Thank you very much. You were a big help."

"Now what?" Topaz asked, adjusting her own black vest. "Should we head straight for the bar or stand around for a while?"

"We'll head on to the bar," Law said.

Neo slipped her hand into Law's. She narrowed her eyebrows at him when he looked at her. "Don't give me that look. We're not pirates here. So I get to hold your hand this time."

"She's got a point," Archer said.

"Fine," Law said, tightening his fingers around hers.

"You're such a good boy," Neo cooed. "And we get to make out when we get back to the sub."

Law's cheeks tinted pink when Topaz and Archer chuckled at them. "Let's just go."

Stepping out into the muddied street, they looked around at the empty town. Topaz said, "Where is everyone?"

"Inside maybe?" Archer said." It was clearly raining not all that long ago."

"But surely the people would be back outside by now," Topaz said.

"The trouble here must be worse than we thought," Law said.

"With how many holes I felt in the forest," Neo said.

Law nodded. "We have to be more careful."

"Do they really have that much fire power?" Archer asked.

"We'll know as soon as we meet up with Lane," Law said, scanning for the correct bar. As they walked down the street several guys finally come out of different buildings. Some wondered through the town, not giving the pirates even a simple glance, while others propped themselves up against buildings and posts and watched them walk by.

 _'Law, do you think they suspect us? This town isn't as big as we thought it was going to be.'_

 _'It's possible they do. Just keep calm and don't look at them.'_

 _'I'm trying not to. I'd just feel better if the whole crew was here. But then I also don't want them here. Not with all those bombs on the island. And I can sense ammonium nitrate. They're carrying bombs themselves.'_ Her hand trembled. _'And don't forget their Zoan Devil Fruits. I wonder where they are right now.'_

 _'Relax, love. We'll be fine.'_ Law gave her a gentle squeeze.

Neo took a deep breath in and slowly let it out.

"There's the Blue Petal Bar," Topaz said as few minutes later. They all turned to the woodened building. Over the door was the hand painted sign. Some laughter floated out into the street from the building.

"Our contact should be in there then," Archer added. "I'm starting to get nervous." He casually glanced around the town. "I wonder if they suspect anything."

"Just keep calm," Law said. "If they did one of them would have run off by now to inform their boss."

"Should we go into the bar now?" Neo asked. A strange icy tingle brushed along her fingertips. She whipped her eyes over her shoulder. "Huh?"

"What is it, Neo?" Archer asked.

"I can feel something," Neo said. "It's icy."

"Icy?" Archer looked up at the sky. "We're on a warm island. How can you feel ice?"

Law frowned. "Your dream's not attacking you again, is it?"

"No," Neo replied. "If it was you would be feeling it, too."

"I sense it, too," Topaz said. "And if I'm not mistaken, the wielder of the ice is also wielding a leopard inside of them."

"Magic?" Archer asked.

Neo nodded.

"You and your dreams." Law frowned. He sighed when Neo gave him an innocent look. "Let's just get inside. One mission at a time here."

The small group stepped up to the door. Archer entered in first and held the door open for the rest of them to come in. The room was heavy with booze and drunken laughter. Half the tables were filled, but from the way the people glanced over at them it was suggested these men weren't normal citizens here.

Neo stepped closer to Law's side when one of the men pulled his red eyes over her body.

Law caught the man's look as well. Calmly, he stepped between the man's hungry gaze and his love. He then pulled her along to a table in the corner where he knew she would be comfortable and he would be able to keep himself positioned between her and the other men in the room. Making sure to clearly announce that Neo was his, he pulled two chairs close together and placed a kiss on her hand when they sat down.

"There he is," Archer said, nodded his head to the blonde man they were looking for wondering the room with a tray of beer bottles in hand. "Lane Brew."

They causally watch the man deliver the beer before he walked over to them. "Can I get ya anything?"

"Two beers and two waters," Law ordered.

"You got it," the man said before walking off. A minute later he returned with their order. He placed them on the table. "Here you go."

"Down the lane a beer brews," Law whispered when Lane leaned closer to him.

"Back door, stairs to the right, first door on the left," Lane whispered back. He then straightened up and smiled. "Let me know if you need anything else."

 _'Have I ever told you how cute you are when you're jealous?'_ Neo asked Law.

 _'Plenty of times. And you know I don't like other men looking at you.'_

 _'You're so cute."_ Neo's eyes sparkled at her possessive lover.

Law smirked back at her before settling into his beer.

…

Eira sat up straight. A tingle of magic ran up and down her spine. Her eyes whipped to the window just in time to see fog gathering in the distance. She scoffed. "So the little pirate princess is messing with the weather to sneak them on the island. I don't know if that's cleaver of her or stupid." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Calm down. It doesn't matter. Your targets are here. At least they'll get on the island without being seen."

Gathering up her stuff, she shoved it back into her bag and headed for the exit. Leaning up against the doorframe she watched the fog roll in until it was half way over her. She then stepped out into the street and in between the two buildings. Bending her knees, she launched herself at the wall and ricocheted between the two buildings until she landed on the roof with a graceful thud. She sniffed the air. Four scents floated down on the air to her, two human and two other creatures. A curious hum purred over her lips. The two other creatures were full of magic. She could taste it and their scents on the wind. It was enticing. Her fingers wiggled in anticipation. She couldn't wait to get her hands on the two that caused her such problems. The fog moved on. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, she followed it until she could sense the people inside descend to the ground.

They emerged from the fog. Anger flared up inside of her chest upon seeing her two targets. The black haired man named Trafalgar Law and the blue haired girl named Neo. Their fingers sickeningly tangled together. She rolled her eyes. Nothing in the newspapers suggested they had a relationship with each other. But she knew they did. It was painfully obvious. Her eyes locked onto them as they wandered down the muddied streets. She followed. She stalked them. Her predatory instincts swirled like a tornado inside of her. Her fingers twitched in desperation to grabbed her dagger and plunge it into Neo's beating heart. But no. Now wasn't the time for that. The pirates were far too on guard here. Its like they were expecting an attack. She would have to wait.

So she followed them. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop she followed them until they reached a tavern. Suddenly her blue haired target looked over her shoulder. She back up, hoping that she hadn't been seen just yet. But the little magic creature never looked up in her direction. She was still safe and had, for the most part, gone unnoticed by them.

They entered and took a table near a window. She waited with the perfect view. Law and Neo were in her sights still holding each other's hand and passing secretive glances towards each other. It was enough to make anyone feel sick. Still she remained in her perch.

…

The pirates remained in their seats, sipping their drinks and making light conversation until the tavern was nearly empty. They then paid for their drinks and left the bar. The streets were almost empty but for a few people from the tavern. The pirates walked down the street a ways before turning into an alley. They backtracked to the back of the bar. Neo said, "That magic person is still watching us."

"As long as they just watch," Law said. "We don't need any complications right now."

"I wonder who they are," Archer said as they came upon the back door. Pressing his body to the wall, he cracked the back door opened, listening for any signs of anyone else. When only silence met them, he slipped into the building and snuck up the stairs. Testing the doorknob, he found it open and they entered into the dark room. There they waited half an hour before footsteps appeared outside of the door. Lane's muffled voice said, "All right. See you tomorrow. G'night."

The door opened and Lane slipped inside. He flipped on the light and glanced over the pirates. "You could have turned on the light."

"That would have been too suspicious," Law said.

"Is something wrong? Are you being followed?" Lane asked.

"It's nothing," Law said despite the passing glances of worry between the other three. "Let's just get to the problem we were sent here for."

Lane nodded. Walking away from the door, he plopped down on his bed and gestured to the four others to sit down as well. Topaz and Archer sat down on the two chairs at the small table while Law and Neo remained standing beside each other. "The thieves headquarters is in the old mansion about two mile northwest of this town. The leader's name is Brock. And he commands a total of a hundred men."

"That's a lot for just being thieves," Topaz said.

"Brock use to be a former bounty hunter," Lane said. "He retired from that business a few years ago when he noticed it was easier to steal things than fighting pirates and mountain bandits. So a lot of his followers are from his bounty hunting days."

"What about the bombs?" Archer asked. "The Navy gave us a map of them but we were wondering if more have been set."

"There are bombs and traps all over the island. Most of the traps are on the edges of the island to keep outsiders from getting in," Lane explained. "The bombs are set all around the forests. Those are to keep the civilians under control. They also have bombs they carry around with them. That's most of the reason why this town looks the way it does. They've used bombs on occasion to remind the people here who's in control."

"Do you have a plan in taking them down?" Law asked.

"I do." Lane nodded.

"Great," Archer said. "Our crew is waiting and willing to help out."

"That's nice, but I think it'll be better if we attack them in a small group," Lane said.

"You can't be serious!" Archer replied. "You said he has a hundred men! And some of them have Devil Fruit powers! Zoan Devil Fruit powers I must clarify!"

"I know that." Lacing his fingers together, he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward. He looked directly at Neo and Law. "But I think my plan will work with only you two."

"What do you have in mind?" Law asked.

 _'You're not really considering him, are you?'_ Neo's heart pounded in her chest. This wasn't how this was supposed to go.

 _'Relax, love. Nothing wrong in just hearing him out.'_

Neo stifled a growl.

"My plan is to take out the thieves secretively using yours and Neo's powers," Lane said. "Pick them off one by one. I think this would be best than a direct attack because I'm not sure where all the bombs have been planted. They've laid more out all over the place. And having your crew go stomping through the forest is only a death sentence for them."

"That's unheard of among the Navy," Archer said. "Usually you people want us dead."

"I'm not like most Navy soldiers," Lane said. "Besides my mission here is to free the island and its people not to capture and eliminate pirates."

Law exhaled through his nose. Instantly, he could feel Neo tensing beside him. _'I know you hate the idea, but he makes sense. And you want to keep the crew safe, correct?'_

 _'I do. But the crew is supposed to be by our side. They're going to go crazy when we don't return to the sub. Penguin's going to drive them nuts.'_

 _'I know. But the crew also knows that plans can be changed. They won't enter the island until we say its safe.'_

 _'Fine. We'll do it his way.'_

"We'll do it," Law said.

Neo shrugged when Topaz and Archer gave her questioning looks.

"Then we attack tonight," Lane said.

…

 **Author's Notes: I'm so sorry! I keep going forever and a day between updates! Personally, I blame my sleep deprivation for messing with my head. The story's not going to come out as long as I thought it was. But I still hope you all enjoy what's still to come. If I can extend it longer, I will.**


	10. Thieves & Shadows

Thieves & Shadows

Penguin watched as the fog gathered around his precious little sister. A tiny heartache plucked at his chest. He really didn't like it when he couldn't be with her and help her. He jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning away from the fog, he found Shachi smiling at him.

"Come on, Pen," Shachi said. "Let's get inside so we can dive."

"Fine," Penguin said. He gave the drifting fog one last look before heading into the sub. With a heavy clank followed by several clicks, Bepo closed and sealed the door. Penguin remained standing in place. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the bear pass by him. Then, without realizing it, he started pacing back and forth in front of the door.

…

Penguin paced. And paced and paced and paced. Every so often he'd pause and looked at the door or concentrated on feeling if the sub was being lifted to the surface of the sea. Nothing. For three hours nothing happened. He paced some more. His legs and feet throbbed but his spinning mind was too busy worrying to even notice.

"Will you stop pacing so much?" Shachi asked. "You're going to wear out the floor."

"I can't help it!" Penguin said. "They should have contacted us by now! This waiting around is driving me crazy!"

"You know things can go awry," Conner said walking into the room. "I'm sure everything is fine. You'd know if it wasn't with your freaky connection to Neo."

"Hey! It's not freaky! It's Big Brother Intuition!" Penguin growled. "It's easy to understand! A lot easier than her bond with the captain! It's a normal bond!"

"And are you feeling like something's wrong?" Conner asked.

"Well…no," Penguin said.

"Then relax." Conner turned and headed back down the stairs. "You're going to worry yourself into a head full of grey hairs before you're even thirty years old."

"He's right, Pen," Shachi said. "You know there's nothing to worry about here."

"I know, I know," Penguin said with sigh.

"Then why don't you do something other than pacing and staring at the door?" Shachi asked. "Why don't you go read? That always passes time for you."

"Maybe," Penguin murmured. He turned his eyes back to the door, thinking. Rubbing his neck in frustration, he forced himself away from the door. His crewmates were right. All he was doing here was worrying himself sick. Neo was with the captain and Topaz and Archer. They would do anything and everything to keep her safe. So he headed down the rec. room, grabbed a book, and settled into reading while they waited for word on what was going on above them. As he opened his book his eyes wondered to the only other pirate in the room, Tero. The man was sitting at the table, drumming his fingertips on the wooden surface. "Worried I see."

"Don't be silly," Tero said, crossing his arms. "Why would I be?"

Penguin snickered. "Why bother acting like you don't care about her? We all know you do. Maybe not like the rest of us do. But you do in your own way."

"Just shut up and read your stupid book," Tero said.

"Okay," Penguin said. "But don't worry too much."

Tero growled but said nothing.

Penguin chuckled before letting his eyes drop down to this book. He read, one word at a time while occasionally looked up at the door or focusing on the sub to see if it was rising. Reading again, he started reading until his mind got completely absorbed in the book.

…

"Are you all ready to go?" Lane asked.

The pirates nodded before following Lane back out the back door. In the warm night air, Neo summoned her wind crystals and lifted them into the sky.

"Wow," Lane said, his eyes down on the ground. "I never thought I'd fly like this. I never thought I'd ever fly at all. You sure you know what you're doing? How long have you had that Devil Fruit of yours?"

"You don't have to worry about her," Law said so Neo wouldn't have to lie. A sadistic smile curled upon his lips. "She'll only drop you if you try to hurt us."

Archer and Topaz busted up laughing when Lane went pale.

 _'Law, he said he wasn't going to hurt us. I believe him. You don't have to scare him like that.'_

 _'I know. But a little insurance never hurt anything. It's good he knows his life is in our hands now.'_

Neo smiled but shook her head at him. She then lifted them high enough into the sky so they could still see the world below them but should be far enough away that no one spotted them. Or they shouldn't be spotted since it wasn't the norm for humans to look up for danger. Her attention turned to the forest that passed below them. The forest was thick and lush. None of them could see below the canopy. She connected herself to the animals she could find stirring in the night. Despite using animals as her own personal lookouts she still asked, "Do you think anyone's down there?"  
"It's hard to tell," Lane said. "Sometimes Brock's men monitor the island through the nights while sometimes they don't. Usually they stay near the edges of the island though. They're more worried about outside attacks rather than inside attacks. They don't have many fighters on this island. And those that are here are just mere humans that can't stand up to Devil Fruits."

"How many Zoan Devil Fruits will we be facing?" Topaz asked.

"Last count I knew of only six Zoan users on the island," Lane said. "They're all carnivore animals. There's a tiger, a bear, a lion, a fox, a snow leopard, and an owl."

"The owl could cause us problems up here," Archer said. "Does he go flying often?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Lane said.

 _'Neo, keep an eye out for the owl.'_ Law thought to her.

 _'I will. And I'm sure Topaz is searching as well. The animals below us are telling me no one's in the forest.'_ Neo glanced over at her sister. Topaz nodded at her, confirming her suspicious. _'It's a good thing that Devil Fruit users typically only use them in fights than recreation.'_

 _'We still need to keep our guard up.'_

 _'I know.'_ Neo nodded. More trees passed by before they broke into a worn down garden just outside of the mansion. She huffed at the lack of care it had been given. "They could at least water the plants. They're dying of thirst."

"Focus, Neo," Law said. "We're here to take care of the thieves not to tend to plant life."

"Sorry," Neo said.

"She has better eyes than I do," Lane said. "I can't even see the plants from way up here."

"So, uh, what now?" Archer asked.

"We sneak in and tie up everyone that's inside," Lane said. "Hopefully one of the windows is unlocked."

"I'll just warp us inside," Law said. "It'll cause too much trouble and waste a lot of time looking for an open window."

"Oh," Lane drawled. "Right."

"Neo, lower us down," Law said.

Neo nodded. The lower they got the more the mansion came into view, as did the dying flora on the ground. She frowned at the drooping flowers and browning leaves on the bushes. A strong desire to tend to the plants filled her. She hated fighting her nature to care for them. But she forced herself to turn away. "The forest is so lush. Are they killing the plants on purpose?"

Law lifted an eyebrow at her.

Neo shrugged.

"That's a big house," Archer said eyeing the building.

"Hence why it's called a mansion," Lane said.

"Ha, ha." Archer rolled his eyes.

Neo pulled her eyes away from Law and eyed the building. It was four stories high with springline windows decorating the bedrooms and a balcony on the second floor master bedroom. _'It's nice. I guess. But I think we'd need something bigger if we were to live in a house.'_

 _'You'd need a mansion the size of your castle just to hold your books.'_ Law smiled.

 _'If only.'_ Neo thought dreamily.

 _'Maybe one day, love.'_

"Someone important use to live here?" Topaz asked.

"A noble family," Lane said. "But they moved out over fifteen years ago. Before all this happened it was use as a form of hotel when storms damaged homes too much for the people to live in them."

"That's nice," Archer said. "At least the building didn't go to waste."

"Let's get to work," Law ordered. He waited until Neo brought them to the edge of the mansion before forming his Room. With a low pop they entered into the hallway of the top floor of the mansion.

"Hey! What are you doing in here?!" a gruff looking man demanded.

Neo trapped the man in her winds, summoned her earth crystals, and bound his body and mouth with vines before he could call for help.

"That was fast," Lane said. "She is good."

Law smiled. Pride swelled in his chest as he thought about what his love could really do.

"How many men do you think are in the mansion?" Topaz asked.

"It's hard to tell," Lane said.

"We'll just have to take them down one at a time then," Archer said.

"We also need to find where they keep the bomb and trap maps," Lane said. "The Navy will want to extract the bombs and traps from the island."

"Don't tell me you're going to make us do that as well." Archer frowned.

"No," Lane said. "The Navy will do that themselves so the weapons don't end up in the hands of, uh, pirates."

"We don't steal bombs," Archer said.

"We can't risk it," Lane said. "Sorry. But you're still pirates even though Trafalgar is a warlord. We should split up."

"No," Neo said. "I'm not having my crew separate from me anymore than we already are."

"We have too," Lane said.

"No, we don't," Neo insisted.

"We're staying together. If _you_ want to sneak off on your own then feel free to do so," Law said.

"Fine." Lane sighed in defeat. "We'll just stick with the plan of whittle them down one by one or whatever."

…

Eira watched the small group as they flew off towards the northwest. Adjusting her bag's strap, she trailed after them. She jumped along the rooftops until she got to the edge of the town. Then she had to jump down to the ground and continued to follow them. Reaching the forest, she felt danger again and leaped into the trees. Unable to see them from down here, she hoped they continued to head northwest. It would be easier to follow them if they did. She paused on a tree branch. Ice crackled under her feet. It started lifted her into the air but she stopped it. Narrowing her eyebrows she focused on an odd feeling she didn't notice before. It was the woman, Neo. She could somehow sense the woman's nature elements moving away from her. She could also feel Law moving away from her, too. "That's odd. I wonder why I can sense them like that."

Shaking it from her mind, she continued to jump from tree branch to tree branch. Sensing them didn't really matter. It only gave her an easier way to track them. They continued heading northwest so that's where she went. Jumping to another branch she scared a couple of birds before moving on. They chirped threateningly at her before settling back down in their nest. "Sorry. I'm in a hurry."

She continued to follow after them, wondering where exactly they were going and why they were going all the way out to the middle of nowhere. But eventually she spotted part of a building through some leaves. Jumping a few more branches, she landed and parted some leaves to see what was going on. She spotted no one outside, but knew Neo and Law were inside of the building as she could still sense them. She glanced around, wondering why the pirates would have come here of all places. Was the rest of their crew here? She sniffed the air. There were so many different scents scattered around the air. Most were coupled with the dirty smell of the unwashed. She rubbed her nose with the back of her arm while debating on what she should do now. These scents could be those of their crew, but then she noticed the smell of animals that weren't native to this island. "Devil Fruit users? Has to be. And I don't recall the Heart Pirates having Devil Fruit users other than their captain. Well, and the fake one of Neo's."

…

"Huh?" Neo glanced to her left in confusion. She then glanced over at Topaz. Her sister nodded to confirm her suspicious. They were sensing that icy presence again.

"What is it?" Law asked.

"Nothing," Neo replied. _'That person, the icy one, followed us all the way here.'_

Law frowned.

 _'I'm sorry, Law. I guess I shouldn't have said anything right now.'_

 _'No, you did the right thing. I'm just want to know who they are and what they want.'_

 _'I guess we'll know after we take care of this.'_

Law looked at Neo. Worry spun inside of his head. He hated the thought that anyone was targeting her.

 _'Relax, Law. I'm fine. Let's just get this over with first. Then we'll go out and see who's following us.'_

"Okay," Law said. "Let's go."

The group made their way down the bare hallway. At each door they came to they knocked on it. No one answered so it appeared everyone was either downstairs, at the other side of the mansion or outside somewhere. They came to the top of the massive stairs. Carefully, Neo lifted them back into the air and floated them down to the second floor. She placed them down gently on the floor. They all settled in and listened to the voices below.

"I can't believe how easy this has been," a man said.

"Yeah. The Navy won't mess with us."

"They're just too stupid."

"Or we're just too smart for them."

"Same thing."

"No, it's not!"

"Yes it is!"

"No! It's not!"

"All of the Devil Fruit users are downstairs," Neo said.

"That's just great. So what's the plan?" Archer asked. "Do we ambush them?"

"Yes," Law replied. He looked at Lane. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, fine," Lane said. "Let's just get this over with. The Navy's waiting for my call."

"Neo, take their weapons away," Law said.

"Got it." Neo nodded.

Law held up his hand and spread out his Room. He then warped them downstairs and right in the middle of the living room.

"Hey! Where did you come from?!"

"Never mind that! Kill them!"

Neo summoned her wind crystals. Once the men pulled out their guns, knives, and swords, she lifted them all into the air. Pulling them together she used her fire crystals to melt them into one giant mess, careful not to set off the gunpowder.

"Hey! Give those back!"

"Sorry. It's a little late for that. You should have said something sooner." Archer charged forward and punched the man who just spoke.

"Give me my sword back!" A man charged at Neo. Before he could reach her a foot shot out and kicked him in the face.

"Don't touch my sister," Topaz said.

"Thanks, Topaz," Neo said.

Topaz nodded then charged into the fight.

Neo glanced over at Lane. He too was fighting. And so was Law. But Law was at a bit of a disadvantage due to not having his sword. She pulled two earth crystals to her. Lighting them up with her glow, she pulled a stone sword out of the ground in the same shape and weight as Kikoku and gave it to him.

"Thanks, Neo." Law grabbed the sword. Still in his Room, he sliced up over half of the guys, ignoring their cries of protest in the process. "This is more like it."

"You won't get away with this," the owl Devil Fruit user said.

Neo stood ready as the Devil Fruit users started transforming. The owl was the first to charge at her. She lifted herself into the air with her winds.

"Come back here!" the owl said following her every move. "I'm a fast flier! You're not going to get away from me!"

"Maybe," Neo said. She flew around the room with the owl on her tail. She kept just out of reach of him. "You're not bad."

"Told you so." He smirked.

"But you're not good enough," Neo said. She dropped three feet. When he was directly over her head, she shot up several vines into his stomach. She flew out from underneath him just as his body started to fall. Then suddenly a hand wrapped around her ankle. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Fear gripped her chest. Images of her past flashed through her mind. Her crystals erupted with her scream. "Ah!"

…

Law gritted his teeth when Neo's anxiety skyrocketed and her panic filled his body. He whipped his eyes to her just before her elements broke into the room. Vines and plants sprung up from the floor, water pipes burst, the wind howled and blew everything around like a tornado, even the people were having trouble keeping on their feet.

…

"Crap!" Archer cursed. "The tiger grabbed her!"

"Neo!" Topaz called.

"What's the heck is going on?!" Lane demanded grabbing onto the stair railing. "Is she trying to kill us?!"

"No!" Archer called over the winds. "She just can't handle being touched! Just hold on! The captain will calm her down!"

The walls cracked. Lane said, "Before or after she breaks the house apart and kills us?!"

…

Law warped himself up to Neo. As soon as he was in front of her, he dropped his fake sword to place his hands on her shoulders, kicked the tiger's face until he let go, and wrapped his arms around her. Bringing his lips to her ear, he said, "It's okay, Neo. You're fine. You're not hurt. No one's going to hurt you."

"H-he touched me." Neo curled her fingers around the front of Law's shirt. "He touched me."

"I know he did," Law said. "He's not touching you now." He looked up at the floor above them started cracking. "Neo, I need you to calm down. You're going to bring the house down on us."

"Okay, okay." Neo took in several deep breaths before finally calming down.

"That's my girl," Law said.

"Captain!" Archer called up. Pieces of the wood broke off the house and rained down on them. The house creaked and groaned under its broken walls. "The house took too much damage! We can't stay in here any longer! And we certainly can't fight here!"

"Right!" Law said just before warping them all outside. "Shambles!"

…

Eira's hairs stood up on her entire body upon feeling a huge shift in nature and the plants around her started moving on their own. She became even more confused when she realized it was coming from inside of the house, from Neo. "What the heck?! How powerful is her magic?!"

She blinked when several people appeared outside just before the house collapsed. She tucked herself back behind the leaves. Her eyes locked onto the only blue haired person around.

…

"That was way to close!" Archer said as the house crumbled.

"You idiots! Look at what you did to our home!" a man shouted. "Just wait until the boss gets here! He's going to-"

"Shut up." Lane kicked the man, knocking him out.

"You're really going to pay for this now!" the lion hissed.

Law glared at the Devil Fruit users. There was no way he was going to let Neo fight anymore right now. And there was no way he was going to let them come anywhere near her again. "Shambles." He warped a huge pile of debris onto the Devil Fruit users, knocking them out. "This fight is over."

Neo sniffled. "Good."

"Well, that went a lot easier than I expected. And way too easy." Lane looked around. "But I won't complain. We should expect the rest of their group to show up soon. We need to tie these guys up before that happens."

"Neo, can you give us some vine ropes?" Law asked.

Neo nodded and did what was requested of her. Vines rose up out of the ground and coiled together for them.

"But we still need those maps," Lane said looking at the damaged house. "It's going to take forever to dig through all of that."

"Don't worry about it," Archer said. "Neo can easily clear it all out. She just needs a few minutes to calm down."

"She just doesn't make any sense." Lane grabbed a couple vines off the ground. He walked over to the men and started tying them up.

"Here the rest of them come," Topaz said upon seeing some men breaking through the forest.

"Good." Archer cracked his knuckles. "I'm no where near satisfied. Captain?"

"Go ahead since they're not Devil Fruit users," Law said.

"Still be careful," Neo said pulling her face away from Law's chest. She looked up at him. "I want to go home."

"We will in a few minutes," Law said.

"Not soon enough." Neo sighed.

"What heck have you done to my home and men?!" a black haired man demand.

"I'm guessing you're Brock," Archer said.

"I am! And you're going to pay for this!" Brock charged forward with the rest of his men following.

Neo watched as Topaz and Archer fought off the remaining men before finally feeling secure enough to pull away from Law. "I want more snuggles when we get back to the sub."

"Anything you want, love," Law said.

Neo summoned her earth crystals again. She tied the rest of the men up before lifting the broken house apart. Once she had cleared enough away they started looking for the maps.

"Found them!" Archer said thirty minutes later. He looked at them. "Dang! This map looks like a Christmas Tree! There're so many bombs and traps around the island!"

"A lot more than I thought there were." Lane looked at the maps. "It's going to take forever for the Navy to dig them all up."

"I found the chalice," Topaz said holding up the stolen artifact.

Law nodded. They had completed their mission.

"It doesn't look like the bombs and traps are very close to the town," Neo said looking at the map. "So the crew should be safe to come ashore."

"What are you going to do now?" Archer asked.

"Call this in," Lane said. "The Navy will get here by morning and we'll start cleaning things up. Thanks a lot for your help. Would you mind dropping me back at the town? I need to get a hold of my contact now."

"I guess." Neo summoned her wind crystals lifted them into the air. Once they were back over the town, she sat Lane down then headed towards the sub. Hovering over the sea, she sensed where Bepo was then lifted the sub using the water to push it to the top. She then placed her small group on the deck just before the door swung open.

"Neo!" Penguin ran over to his sister and threw his arms around her. "I was so worried! What happened to the plan?!"

"Things got a little crazy," Neo said hugging him back. "But we're fine now."

"I assume everything went fine," Shachi said while walking out onto the deck.

"A few minor set backs," Archer said. "But nothing we couldn't handle."

"I'm so glad," Bepo said following Shachi.

"What are we doing now?" Shachi asked.

"We're leaving," Archer said.

"Wait," Neo said. "We can't just yet."

"Why not?" Archer asked.

"We need to figure out why that person is following us," Neo said.

"What person?" Penguin asked.

"Following us?" Archer added.

"We're being followed while on the island," Law said. "Neo senses the person has magic and control over ice and snow."

The crews' eyes whipped to their little sister.

Neo shrugged. "I have to know what they want." She tugged at her vest. "But first I want to get out of these clothes."

"Good!" Penguin said. "Inside with you, young lady!"

Neo giggled. She kissed Penguin's cheek before heading inside. A smile spread across her face when Law slipped his hand into hers and walked with her. "Try not to worry, my love. I'll be careful."

"I know," Law said. "Because I'm going to be right there with you."

Still sensing his worry, she lifted him into the air with her wind crystals. Pulling herself up she flew them down to their bedroom and entered. Once inside, she laid him down on the bed and straddled over him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Law placed his hands on her hips and squeezed.

"Trying to stop you from worrying." Neo lead down and placed multiple light kisses on his lips. "How am I doing?"

"Not bad," Law said. "But I'm still not quite relaxed."

"Oh." Neo pulled away. She slipped the vest off her chest, tossed it to the floor, and then leaned back down to capture his lips. She traced her tongue over his lips before snaking inside of his mouth. Her tongue swept over every inch of his wet, warm cavern, earning a hum of delight from him.

"Now I'm getting relaxed," Law said when she pulled back for air.

"Good." Neo sprawled out on his body and pressed her lips back to his.

…

Eira waited until the pirates were long gone before heading back to the town. Her mind spun with what she had just witnessed. Getting close enough to kill them wasn't going to be as easily as she had first thought. Land in the tree at the edge of the forest, she paused on the branch and looked out to the sea. She was going to have to get onto their sub. That is, as long as they don't leave the island before she could get aboard.

She jumped down from the branch, clearing the dangers that were there. Following Neo's magic trail, she headed towards the edge of the island. She stopped on the cliff. Her eyes landed on the yellow submarine that was strolling slowly along the island. She watched it until it pulled into the docks. "Good. Doesn't look like they're leaving just yet."

She turned and ran back into the town. When she got there, she jumped upon a store rooftop and proceeded to make her way to the docks. There she stopped on a two-story house over looking the docks. She waited for Neo and Law to come out. But all she saw so far were the crewmembers. Or she assumed they were since they were coming out of the yellow sub. The newspapers didn't talk much about the rest of the crew so she had no idea what they looked like or what their names were. Still, she watched them closely. Her mind worked through possible ways to try and get onboard. Could she use the crew? Maybe get one kidnapped somehow and pretend to rescue them? Would pirates fall for that? Would the captain let someone on his crew for saving a crewmate?

Eira tucked her feet under her legs. She watched the crewmembers walk off the docks and into the town before looking back at the sub. Law and Neo still hadn't come out. She tapped her fingers on her knee in annoyance. "What's taking them so long? What are they doing in there? Ugh. Maybe I don't want to know."

…

"We really should get out there and make sure the crew's not getting into trouble," Law said through Neo's kisses.

"Oh." Neo pouted. "And here we're suppose to cuddle."

"We are and we will," Law said. "I just want to make sure they're behaving. It's been almost two hours since they left the sub. You know how they can get into trouble. And the bombs are still-"

"Well, what are you waiting for?!" Neo pulled him off the bed with her wind crystals and over to the closet. She pulled off her clothes, but for her underwear and bra and had her normal clothes on in three seconds. "Let's go!"

Law chuckled. "If you were going to change in front of me you could have done it slower."

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks.

Law pecked her lips. "Don't worry, love. I've seen it all before."

"Oh!" Neo covered her face with her hands. "I didn't mean to do that!"

Law chuckled again. He pulled out the ribbon from Neo's hair and worked the braid out before putting on a yellow shirt with their Jolly Roger on it. He then pulled her hand away from her face and led her out of the room, grabbing his sword as they went. "Come on, you. We have a spy to track down."

"You're not upset?" Neo glanced up at Law.

"Of course I'm not," Law replied. "There's nothing to be upset about. I'm to be your future husband. And I'm your doctor. It's only normal for me to see you naked."

"Half naked," Neo said.

"Half naked," Law repeated.

Neo exhaled. "Sorry I blushed."

"Nothing to apologize for." Law leaned down and pecked her lips before climbing the stairs to the main deck. Before stepping outside he released her hand.

Neo reluctantly let his hand go. Switching back to her subordinate position, she pulled them into the air with her wind crystals. _'So are we going to go right after her?'_

 _'Her?'_

 _'The one following us.'_

 _'They around? Wait…'_

 _'What is it?'_ Neo looked at Law.

 _'I can sense them now, too.'_ Law kneaded his eyebrows.

 _'I wonder why? Maybe they're like Elementals? Once you know about them you can tell if one's near by?'_

 _'Possibly. Let's just be careful. Act like we're going into the town then trapped them in your winds.'_

 _'Okay.'_ Neo lowered them to the ground. Sticking her hands in the jeans of her pockets, so she wouldn't reach for Law's hand, she walked beside him as they headed farther into the town. She waited a few seconds before summoning her wind crystals above the one following them. They cried out when she trapped them.

"Hey! Let me go!"

Neo brought the girl down to them. Her eyes widened a bit upon seeing the girl in her snow leopard form. "You're not human."

"I am, too!" she snapped. "I'm just different! Now put me down!"

"Why are you following us?" Law asked.

"I have my reasons," she said. "And they're none of your business. Now, release me. I don't like being held like this."

"We're not releasing you until you tell us why you were following us around," Law said.

The girl gritted her teeth. A low growl released from her throat.

"Could you at least tell us what your name is?" Neo asked.

The growl cut off. The girl looked at Neo, contemplating the question. "Just call me Eira."

"Neo!" Penguin cried out.

Neo glanced over at her brother. He and the rest of the crew were running down the street towards them.

"What's going on?!" Penguin demanded. He took his place beside Neo and glared at the girl in her winds. "Who is this?!" He paused. "Her eyes…they look just like the captain's."

"This is the person who's been following us around," Law said.

"Why do you keep following Neo and the captain?!" Shachi demanded.

"Yeah, she's really going to answer you just like that," Tero said.

"Shut up," Shachi said. "I can try."

"Then by all means," Tero said.

"Enough," Law said. The men went quiet.

"It's obvious that you have been following us around," Topaz said. "You might as well tell us why."

"I'm just curious that's all," Eira said.

"Likely story," Penguin said.

"It's the truth," Eira said. "I've heard about these two and wanted to check them out."

"I want you to join our crew," Neo said.

"What?!" the crew shrieked.

Law lifted an eyebrow at her.

Eira blinked. A scoff left her mouth before a bout of laughter. "You can't be serious!"

"Hey! Stop laughing at her!" Penguin growled.

"Then she shouldn't have said that!" Eira shot back.

"I'm serious," Neo said. "I want you to join our crew. We know you have been following us since we landed on this island. So it's obvious you have an interest in us. Though we're not sure if it's because of the reason you have said."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Eira asked.

"If she's not then I am," Penguin said crossing his arms.

"Penguin, please," Neo said.

"Sorry," Penguin said.

"Your crew is so whipped by you," Eira said. "But why so quick to invite me? I could be looking to kill you for all you know. You're already suspicious of me."

"You won't kill us," Neo said. To prove her trust in the girl, she banished her wind crystals, freeing Eira.

Eira righted herself just before landing on the ground. She narrowed her eyebrows and swished her tail.

"A little over confident there," Tero said, "aren't you, Neo?"

Neo shrugged. "Possibly. But I don't believe so. Well? What do you say, Eira?"

Eira stared at the blue haired pirate for a few quiet moments. She said, "Fine. But I'm not just going to hop on your little sub like a good little doggie. If you really want me on your sub then you're going to have to catch me."

"What?" Tero asked.

"You heard me," Eira said. She pointed at Topaz, Neo, and Law. "Only you three aren't allowed to participate in this little game because of your Devil Fruit powers and your Elemental magic."

Law narrowed his eyebrows. His heart stopped at the same time his body went numb. He knew Neo grabbed his arm, but he couldn't feel it or look at her. "You know Neo and Topaz are Elementals?"

"I do." Eira nodded.

"But how?" Topaz asked.

"I can just sense it. They smell like nature," Eira said. She pointed at Topaz then at Neo. "That one smells like fire while this one smells like all of nature. I can't believe that those dumb Navy soldiers this _she_ had a Devil Fruit power. Their stupidity is like a bottomless pit. There's no end to it. But who cares about that. That's the only rule of this game. If your subordinates can catch me then I'll join you."

"This is ridiculous! Tell me you're not really considering this!" Penguin said. "There is something seriously wrong here! Someone one had to tell her about Neo and Topaz."

"Calm down, Penguin," Shachi said.

"I will not calm down!" Penguin snapped. "This person has been stalking our captain and sister! And now we find out she knows Neo and Topaz are Elementals?! I don't trust her!"

"Is it always this lively?" Basil asked.

"Not _this_ lively," Topaz said. "So far we really haven't run into anyone who just knew about us."

"I see," Basil said.

"Neo?" Law asked.

"We agree to your rules," Neo said. "But the chase is to stay inside of the town. I do not want my crew running around the forest with all the bombs and traps still in the ground."

"Very well then," Eira said. She turned and ran off. "The game has begun."

"This is crazy," Penguin said.

"Yeah," Bepo said. "It's not like you to invite someone so quickly onto the sub."

"What's up with that?" Shachi asked.

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "I can't explain why I feel like this. I just need her on the sub with us."

"If you say so," Tero said.

"We trust you, Neo," Shachi said. "But we can't hide our feelings either. We know she's dangerous. We can just feel it. And she's clearly after something. And that could be to kill you and the captain. It's dangerous to invite her onto the sub."

"I know." Neo nodded. "And you know you don't have to hide your feelings from me."

"We might as well take off then," Archer said.

"This is just stupid," Conner said. "Why do we have to chase her around?"

"It'll be fun," Archer said.

"Yeah. Right." Conner rolled his eyes.

"Let's just get this over with," Penguin said while taking the lead in going after Eira.

"Are you angry with me for doing that?" Neo asked as the crew walked away.

Law ran his hand over his neck and shoulder. A contemplating sigh passed over his lips before her turned towards her. "No, I'm not angry. I'm more confused than anything. It's not like you to invite strangers onto the sub so quickly."

"I'm confused too," Neo said, wrapping her arms around herself. "But I know this is the right thing to do. I can feel it. There's something familiar about Eira. And I'm not talking about how much she looks like you."

"I thought she looked more like you," Law said. Looking over his shoulder, he check to see if anyone was watching before taking her hand in his.

Neo curling her fingers around his. His warmth came to her in soothing comfort. "I don't know what it is. I just feel like she needs to be with us. And despite her rough exterior, I know she's not a bad person."

"Is this because of your dream?" Law asked.

"I think it might be," Neo said. "I think the two are connected." She looked up at him. "It can't just be a coincident, can it? Having a dream about a snow leopard, snow, and ice then meeting Eira?"

"I don't know," Law said. "If it is a coincident then it's a big one. What about you, Topaz? What are your thoughts on this?"

"I thought she looked like both of you," Topaz said. "Like she was your child or something."

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks.

"Our child?" Law asked.

"Just an observation." Topaz shrugged. "Despite that, I'm not sure why but I agree with Neo. There's something familiar about her. And you know that it's not safe to have a magical creature just running around like she's been. She obviously knew that we're not humans. She could go tell the Navy that."

"I don't think she'd do that being a magical creature herself," Law said. "And it's clear that she's not an ally of the Navy since she's attacked them before."

"That's true," Topaz said. "But it's equally true that she's not an ally of ours or pirates either. You know by inviting her onto the sub is inviting danger."

Law nodded.

"If you really don't want to have her, then I'll understand," Neo said.

"I won't do that to you," Law said. "You know I trust you and your instincts. I know you really feel her place is on the sub with us. So it will be done. For the time being I think we should keep the fact we can sense her to ourselves. It might come in handy later on."

"If the crew can actually catch her that is," Topaz said.

"I get the feeling they will," Neo said.

"I still don't like this," Topaz said.

"I know," Neo said.

"So what should we do while we wait?" Topaz asked.

"We could just sit outside," Neo said. "Would that be all right?"

Law nodded and led the two women over to the steps of a near by building. They sat down and watched as their crew ran through the town looking for Eira.

"Hey, I didn't think you all would still be here," Lane said.

"We're taking a short break," Topaz said looking up at the man. "The crew wanted a day or two off."

"I see." Lane nodded.

"So did you get a hold of the Navy?" Topaz asked.

"Yeah. They'll be here tomorrow like I said," Lane replied. "For now they want me to try and keep the people of the island in the towns so they don't hit one of the bombs."

"How are you going to do that?" Neo asked.

"I'm not revealing the fact that the thieves have been taken down," Lane said. "Since we left them in the forest, no one should know hopefully until the Navy gets here. I guess we'll see. I'm going to keep watch over the thieves until morning. How strong are those vines?"

"They should be strong enough to hold them," Neo said. "I took away all of their weapons."

"What about the Devil Fruit users?" Lane asked.

"Don't worry about them," Law said. "I removed their hands."

"When?" Lane asked.

"When you were tying the others up," Law said.

"Don't you have sea prism stone cuffs?" Topaz asked.

"I do," Lane said. "I went a head and put them on the Devil Fruit users. I just wanted to check and make sure that none of them could escape the vines."

"They won't," Neo said.

"Okay," Lane said. "Well, thanks for all the help you've done. I couldn't have done this without you all."

Law shrugged.

"Sure," Topaz said. "It was…fun?"

Lane laughed then walked away. "If you say so. See you around."

"See you," Topaz said.

"I almost said we should be gone before the Navy gets here," Neo said. "I forgot we sort of allies to them now. I don't think I'll ever get use to that."

"It might be best to leave before they get here," Law said.

"Why?" Neo asked.

"Because of Eira," Law replied. "Remember, she's wanted, too."

"I forgot," Neo said. "They call her Spotted Death. Not very original of them."

"So how long before we get her backstory?" Topaz asked.

"Who knows? She's clearly not the type to open up about herself," Law said.

"We'll just have to wait and be patient with her," Neo said. "I promise everything will be fine."

"We trust you, love," Law said. "Just be careful around her. I don't want you alone with her at any point in time. She's clearly up to something since she didn't even bother trying to escape from us. And while you believe she's a good person that doesn't mean she's not capable of doing bad things. Remember what happened to Basil's sister?"

"I remember. You don't have to worry," Neo said. "I don't think Penguin is going to let me be alone with her at any point in time. I just hope she doesn't do anything to the crew. If she harms them in any kind of way because of my decision to let her board the sub…"

"Don't stress about it, Neo," Topaz said.

"I'll try not to." Neo smiled.

"So, how well do you think they're doing?" Topaz looked down the street. They hadn't seen the crew for a few minutes now.

"I'm sure they're doing fine." Neo looked up at Law. "I hope. Maybe I should have had Penguin stay with us."

Law thought the same thing.

…

Penguin gritted his teeth as he and the crew ran through the partially destroyed city. He was having serious doubts about all of this. And he was thinking he should turn around and go back to Neo. His eyes zeroed in on Eira. She was running several yards in front of them. He could tell she was doing that on purpose. The way she moved, the taunting way she looked back over her shoulder at them and smirked. She was just messing with them, playing with them like they were mice. She was clearly a lot faster than she was letting on currently. He wondered why she was doing this. What was the purpose? Why was she stalking his captain and sister? Was she going to kill them? That was the only think he could think of. And it set his blood boiling. He wanted to kill her to prevent that from happening. But then he thought about Neo. For some reason she wanted this stranger in their sub, their home. It made no sense. But he knew he could trust Neo. Neo wouldn't purposefully put them in danger. There had to be more going on here that what they all saw. There had to be.

Penguin blinked when Eira suddenly jumped. Following her with his eyes, he found she had landed on a fire escape. She smirked and flicked her tail at them. He heard the crew growling and shouting in frustrations but they began to climb the ladder one by one. He remained in place. Jumping only when a hand found it's way to his shoulder. He turned to find it was Shachi.

"You okay?" Shachi asked.

"I guess so," Penguin said. "I'm just worried."

"We all are," Shachi said. "Something's just not right about this whole situation. How did she even manage to find the captain and Neo?"

"She had to be somewhere near a Navy ship," Penguin said. "That's the only way I can figure it. She had to over hear some soldiers talking about our crew. You can't tell me it's just by luck she found her way here at the same time we arrived."

"There's the possibility she was here before we arrived," Shachi said. "Maybe she lives here?"

"I doubt it," Penguin said.

"Well, either way, Neo wants her on the crew," Shachi said. "It's only a matter of time before we learn if that's a good or a bad thing. So let's just get after her and get back to Neo."

Penguin nodded. He watched as Shachi headed for the ladder. "Wait."

"What?" Shachi turned back around.

"Let's go to the other side of the building," Penguin said. "I doubt she'll stay on the rooftops."

"Well, okay," Shachi said.

Penguin nodded then lead the way to the other side of the building. Just like he thought, Eira dropped down from the roof a mere three seconds after they had arrived.

"What the heck?" Eira blinked at them. "You were supposed to go up to the roof."

"I thought you might jump down," Penguin said. "You seem more like the tricky time."

"Huh," Eira said. "Well, I guess you're a bit more smarter than I gave you credit for."

"You should never underestimate a pirate crew," Penguin said. "It could mean your end."

"I'll keep that in mind," Eira said.

Shachi lunged forward. "Gotcha!"

"Not!" Eira leaped up in the last second. Planting her foot on Shachi's head, she jumped over Penguin then dashed off down the street. "Maybe next time!"

Shachi growled and adjusted his hat. "I'm getting the feeling we're not going to like having her around."

Penguin nodded. He glanced up when some of the crew shouted from above.

"Man, she jumped down!"

"What now?"

"We go back down of course!"

"Let's go!"

"This is stupid!"

"Let's get her!"

"The crew sounds divided between wanting to kill her and wanting to catch her," Penguin said.

"If she uses my head as a trampoline again I'll be one of the one's who want to kill her," Shachi said.

"There she goes!"

"After her!"

"A least they're motivated," Shachi said.

"I guess so," Penguin replied.

"Come on," Shachi said. "Or, if you don't want to be here, you could always go back to Neo. No one said you had to participate."

"I'll be fine," Penguin said. "I'll chase her for a while. Then I might end up going back to Neo then."

"Of course," Shachi said. "You don't want to worry your favorite little sister."

"She's my only little sister," Penguin said.

"Meh." Shachi shrugged. He placed his hand on Penguin and guided him away from the area. "Come on. Let's just get this over with."


	11. Eira Onboard

Eira Onboard

Eira sighed as she heard the Heart Pirates trip over themselves, literally, as they made their way through the forest below her. Three days have passed since they have started this little game. The Navy had come and moved the bombs and traps out so they were free to move about half of the island. She was surprised at how fast they actually were. They were a crew of ninjas basically. Okay so that wasn't the correct term to use. But they were skilled in the martial arts therefore making them quick on their feet. It surprised her how some of them could move so fast. They all weren't skinny.

Looking over towards the town, she could see the people were running around. Their moods have lifted since they were liberated from the thieves. But it wasn't them she was searching for. She could still feel Law, Neo, and Topaz in the town. Usually she sensed them in their precious little yellow submarine. They always seemed to be more in the sub than in the town. It made her curiosity get to her. She wanted to know what they were doing in that sub. Some of the time she knew Law and Neo were together, probably kissing, or making love maybe since they were obvious lovers. She could smell the love on them. It made her sick. But some of the time they were apart. She wondered what there was to do on a sub that would keep them apart. All the ships she's been on didn't seem to have much of anything to do.

"Gotcha!" Bepo roared as he leaped up from out of the trees.

So much for her perfect hiding spot. This bear could easily sniff her. He was the main one that's been tracking her. She fell backwards of the branch she was sitting on and down to the ground, just missing being tackled by the bear. Falling upside down, she watched him scream and flail his arms before dropping back into the forest.

She had to admit to herself that if she were going to like anyone it would be the bear. He appeared to be shy and meek but held an incredible strength that she would love to explore someday. She had never seen a creature like him before and wondered what exactly he was.

"Oh! Come on!" a Heart Pirate screamed from below.

Hanging by her knees on the branch she was perched on, she glanced down. She still didn't know their names but were become more familiar with their voices. He was one of the few who spoke the most. He wore a hat that looked like a whale. And he always seemed to be yelling at the bear with his friend, Penguin. Okay so she knew Penguin's name and half hidden face. But he was easy. His name was literally written across his hat. Plus, he had a very close relationship to Neo. Something else that made her sick. Neo was clearly loved by her crew. She just didn't know why. There didn't appear to be anything special about Neo that would garner such affection from so many men and two women. It just didn't make any sense to her at all.

"Come on!" another Heart Pirate growled. "How are we suppose to have a fair chance at catching you if you keep going high into the trees?!"

A growl vibrated through her throat. She hated to admit it but they were right. If she continued to stay up here they would never catch her. And getting on the sub was her goal. So releasing her legs, she plummeted down towards the ground. Halfway there she vanished from the air then reappeared on the ground. "Fine. I'll stop going so high. But I'm not going to stop using the trees."

"How the heck did you just pop in front of us like that?" Penguin asked.

"Like what?" Eira tilted her head. "I just do it. Are we going to continue this or not?"

"Fine," one of them said. "Just go."

Eira looked at the man who spoke. He was a black haired man that didn't like doing this game at all. Still she turned and ran off into the forest, leaving the pirates behind to catch her.

…

Penguin stood still. His mind running over what had just happened while some of his crewmates took off after Eira.

"What's wrong, Penguin?" Shachi asked.

"Did you think it was weird how she just popped in front of us like that?" Penguin asked.

"I think we all thought it was weird," Shachi said. "But what difference does that make? The captain does that all the time."

"But how is it possible she can do it, too?" Penguin asked.

"Now that you mention it," Bepo said. "That was almost identical to how the captain warps."

"What are you saying?" Shachi asked.

"Are you suggesting that she had some sort of Devil Fruit powers like the captain?" Jean Bart asked. The large man sat down to rest.

"Not really," Penguin said. "I just find it odd how she's able to do that and how much she looks like the captain and Neo."

"I think we're all a bit spooked with how similar she looks to them," Shachi said. "But it shouldn't matter. It's probably just a coincidence."

"A coincidence that she looks like them and was following them?" Penguin asked.

"Sounds like it's more than just a coincidence," Bepo said.

"So she was looking for them all along?" Jean Bart questioned. "Come to think of it, we didn't know anything about her until a short time ago."

"So why now?" Penguin asked. "Why has she suddenly showed up? And why is she following the captain and Neo?"

"We can also add the question of why Neo wants her on the crew so badly," Bepo said.

"Neo's instincts are always sharp and on point," Shachi said. "She never would let anyone on the sub that she felt was a threat to us. She's too protective of us to do that. And the captain is too protective of her."

"So we all feel that Eira's a threat but for Neo," Penguin said.

"Maybe she's going to change?" Bepo offered.

"I suppose that's possible," Penguin said.

A ruckus of cuss words floated back to them. Jean Bart sighed. "We might as well get back to it."

"Yeah." Shachi nodded. "We need to make sure the crew doesn't do anything that'll upset Neo."

"Which way did they go, Bepo?" Jean Bart asked.

Bepo sniffed the air then pointed to his right.

"Let's go." Shachi took off with Bepo following close behind.

"Don't worry about Neo," Jean Bart said as he stood up. "She'll be fine."

Penguin nodded. He followed after the large man.

…

With her chin resting in her hands, Neo blew bubbles into her tea. The sub was quiet, far too quiet for her liking. She missed having her brothers and sisters around through the entire day. Now she only saw them when they came back to eat. She sighed heavily and said, "Law! I'm bored!"

"I'm sorry, love," Law said as he walked into the galley with a newspaper under his arm. He headed to the fridge, poured him a glass of tea, and then joined her at the table. He placed a kiss in her hair before sitting down. "Why don't you play with Topaz?"

"She's sewing right now," Neo said. "She said she could get more work done with the crew off the sub."

"They do get noisy," Law said opening the newspaper.

"Law," Neo whined.

"Want to kiss?" Law asked.

"My lips are dry from doing that a lot these past three days," Neo said.

"You couldn't always go for a swim," Law said.

"Already done that," Neo said. "When will the crew finally catch her? What's taking so long?"

"She's probably using her abilities against them," Law said. "We don't know what all they are. All we know is what we've heard about her in the newspapers."

"I wonder where she came from," Neo said.

"Maybe she'll tell us that at some point," Law said.

"Maybe," Neo said. "Maybe we should go check on them. They might be hurt."

"You know they're fine," Law said, his eyes scanning over the words in front of him. "If they were hurt you would know it. And they would have returned by now."

"I don't like that I don't get to see them often," Neo said, the whine in her voice still prominent.

Law couldn't help but chuckle at her.

"What?" She pouted.

"You're adorable when you whine," Law said. "But remember this is your fault."

"My fault?!" Neo sat up straight and glared at him. "How is this _my_ fault?!"

"You wanted her to join the crew," Law said. "And you agreed to her terms of the game."

"Oh." Neo's shoulders slumped. "I knew that." She dropped her chin back into her palms. "I should have kept Penguin here with me. Or maybe Bepo. He's always fun to play with."

"Just wait a little while longer," Law said. "It's about time for the crew to return for dinner."

"They'll be hungry from all that running," Neo said. "I wonder what I should make for them."

"They'll be really hungry so you better make a lot of it," Law said. "Whatever it is you decide to make."

"Maybe I should go catch a sea pig," Neo muttered.

"You could," Law said. "It would give you something to do."

"And you," Neo said. "You know I don't like killing them nor cleaning them. The crew usually handles that and they're not here right now."

"I can help with that," Law said. "Is that what you want to do?"

Neo hummed. "I guess so. I doubt we have enough to feed them as it is anyway. They've been eating quite a lot these past few days to keep up with Eira. How much time do we have until they return?"

"Probably about an hour," Law said.

"Ack!" Neo jumped to her feet. "An hour?! Law! Why didn't you tell me it was getting so late?! Our babies are going to return starving!"

Without giving him the chance to respond, she summoned two wind crystals and pulled him out of the galley, upside down. Busting out of the door she almost ran into Topaz.

"Whoa!" Topaz halted. "What's the hurry?" She looked at Law. "And why is the captain upside down?"

"I'm sorry." Neo turned him right side up. "We're going to catch some sea pig. The crew will be back in about an hour. What are you doing? I thought you were sewing."

"I was," Topaz said. "Then I noticed the time and thought I'd come help you with dinner since Basil and Penguin aren't here."

"That's great! Can you start on the vegetables while we get the sea pig?" Neo asked.

"Sure thing." Topaz nodded.

"Great! We'll be back soon!" Neo pulled Law up the stairs and outside. Floating above the sea, she looked around for some sea pigs. A few minutes later a pod of them swam by. She lifted one up to them and waited for Law to do the job she needed him to do. The death was quick and painless; they always were when it came to her. She really wanted it that way for the animal's sake. She watched as Law cleaned out all of its insides and sliced it up using his Room. Once that was done she pulled them back inside and into the galley. Keeping the sea pig meat in the air, she placed Law back down in his chair and kissed him. "Thank you, love. And I'm sorry for flying you like I did."

"It's all right." Law pecked her lips. "You were just excited."

"Wow. That's a lot of meat," Topaz said. "How many vegetables do you want to go with it?"

Neo kissed Law once more before walking over to Topaz to help her get dinner ready. "Potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, carrots, and let's do rice, too."

…

"This is too much." Eira heard a Heart Pirate say. "I don't know how much more I can take of this."

"Same here," another one said.

"You lot are just a bunch of babies," the female said.

"You're just as worn out as we are."

"Stop acting like you're stronger than us, Ikkaku."

"At this point, I am stronger than you all."

"Okay, settle down. You know Neo wouldn't like us arguing like this," Penguin said.

Eira rolled her eyes. Penguin's loyalty to Neo turned her stomach like a whirlpool. Though she did have to admit one thing. This was getting old. She was beyond bored with this little game. She paused on a branch. When the pirates got closer, she jumped down to the ground. While she wasn't out of breath yet, she placed her hand on the trunk of a near by tree and panted.

"Hey! There she is!"

"She looks tired, too!"

"This is our chance to catch her!"

Eira frowned at them then took off running. She started off at a fast pace then forced herself to slow down. When the pirates still didn't get close enough she slowed down even more.

"Come on, Bepo!" the whaled hat cheered. "You're one of the fastest! You can stop her now!"

"I can't!" Bepo said. "I'm too tired!"

"Come on, Bepo! Neo's waiting for us! She probably has dinner ready for us!" a pirate said. "Can't you smell it? She probably made fish or sea pig!"

"Fish?! Sea pig?!" Bepo dashed forward.

Eira looked over her shoulder when she sensed the bearing coming closer. Her heart fluttered with excitement. She hadn't had a thrill like this in a long time. But she wasn't able to enjoy it for very long. Within a couple seconds, the white and orange blur slammed into her. Her bag collided with the ground, protecting her back from the hit. She had been caught, sort of.

"Yeah!" the pirates cheered. "She's been caught!"

"I don't know," Tero said, rubbing his chin. "This seemed a little too easy."

"Easy?!" Conner gasped. "We've been chasing that brat around for three days! Three days! This was anything but easy!"

"I have to agree with Conner," Basil said. "It seemed too easy to have just suddenly caught her like that. She's always been way ahead of us. She could have easily jumped into the trees again."

"You two are out of your minds," Shachi said. "It's obvious she's just as tired as we are."

Eira started panting a mere second before they all looked at her.

"She does look tired," Bepo said, releasing his prey.

Eira's stomach growled.

"And hungry," Bepo added.

"I think we're all hungry," Jean Bart said.

"Then can we please go back to the sub now?" Penguin danced on his feet, ready to run back to his sister.

"Calm down, Pen," Shachi said. "Neo will be waiting for us when we get back."

"I know, I know!" Penguin said. "I just want to go now!"

"Then go," Conner said. "No one's stopping you."

Penguin paused. "Oh. Right." He bolted away from them.

"That guy." Archer shook his head.

"Well," Shachi turned back to Eira, "let's go. The captain and Neo will want to know that you're now part of our crew."

"Lucky me." Eira rolled her eyes. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"We haven't be formally introduced," Bepo said. "I'm Bepo."

"Eira," Eira said.

"I'm Shachi. The one who ran off is Penguin. But I'm sure you figured that out by his hat and us calling him that."

"Ikkaku's my name."

"Jean Bart."

"Archer."

"Conner."

"Uni."

"Clione."

"I'm Basil," Basil said. "I'm fairly new to the crew myself."

Eira, against her will, followed each pirate as they said their names. She really didn't care. She wasn't planning on staying very long to get to know them. "Yeah. Nice to meet you all or whatever."

"Oh, she's going to be a joy to have around," Conner said.

"Be nice." Archer elbowed his crewmate in the ribs. "She's part of our crew now."

"Doesn't mean I have to like her," Conner said walking away. The majority of the others mumbled their agreements and followed him.

"Don't worry about him," Archer said. "He's always a pessimistic."

"Whatever." Eira shrugged. "I don't care."

"So shall we go get your things?" Shachi asked. "We need to report this to the captain."

"I already have everything I own with me," Eira said.

"Seriously?" Archer scanned her body.

"I have no need to pull a bunch of junk around with me," Eira said. "I brought what I need. So let's just go to your ship."

"Sub," Shachi said.

"Whatever." Eira walked passed him.

Archer and Shachi shared a shrug before heading back towards the docks.

…

Neo was slow roasting the sea pig with her fire crystals when the thundering sound of boots came towards the galley. She looked over at the door just seconds before Penguin busted into the room. She smiled. Skirting around the counter, she rushed over to him while keeping the sea pig in the air with her wind crystals. "Penguin! You're back!"

"Neo!" Penguin opened his arms for her.

Neo leaped into his hold. "About time!"

"Sorry it took so long," Penguin said.

Neo pulled back from him when she sensed Eira coming their way. "You caught her?"

"We did." Penguin nodded.

"That's…good," Neo said.

"Neo, you're not having second thoughts, are you?" Law asked.

"No, I'm not." Neo looked over at him. Law was still sitting at the table reading the newspaper. She turned back to Penguin when Law nodded at her. Her eyes scanned all over his body. Dirt and minor scratches spotted his skin and clothes from running around in the woods. "Are you all right?"

"Nothing a nice hot meal and shower won't cure," Penguin said.

"Well, dinner is almost ready," Neo said. "You should get cleaned up."

Penguin nodded and left the room.

Neo turned back to finishing up the sea pig meat. A few minutes later more boots on the floor and talking floated into the galley as the crew returned and headed to their quarters to clean up. A few, who managed to stay clean, came into the galley and sat down.

"That was by far one of the most ridiculous things I've ever done," Conner said, plopping down in a chair.

"I'm sorry," Neo said.

"It's fine," Conner said. "I know you wanted this. And it's over."

"A little too quickly," Tero said sitting down beside Conner.

"What do you mean?" Law asked.

Neo and Topaz turned their eyes to the man.

"Not sure. I just think we caught her too easily today," Tero said. "She's been dragging us all around the island then suddenly she's caught."

Law hummed.

"Maybe she was just tired?" Topaz offered.

"Perhaps," Tero said. "But it just feels like she got caught on purpose after three days of easily avoiding us. She also has the ability to warp like the captain does."

"What?" Law asked.

"She fell down from a tree then just suddenly appeared in front of us," Tero said. "Something's screwy with her."

Law, Neo, and Topaz all exchanged confused and concerned looks.

…

"You're going to enjoy being on the Polar Tang," Bepo said just as they reached the docks.

"If you say so," Eira said. Her eyes locked onto the odd smiley face on the sub's wall. She wondered where such a Jolly Roger even came from. And why anyone would want such an unattractive thing on their ship.

"Well, here we are," Bepo said.

Eira pulled her eyes back to the Bepo. One of his paws was on a ladder building into the side of the sub. Looking up she found the rest of the crew had already climbed up, the last one disappearing onto the deck.

"Would you like to go first?" Bepo asked.

"Sure." Eira shrugged. She bent her knees and launched herself into the air, landing perfectly on the railing above.

"Wow! Not exactly what I meant," Bepo said.

Eira smirked when she found some of the Heart Pirates hadn't entered into the sub yet. They just stared at her with opened jaws. She planted a hand on her hip. "Really? You're surprised after what you saw me do in the forest?"

The pirates closed their mouths and entered into the sub.

Eira rolled her eyes.

"I guess you don't need a ladder after all," Bepo said as he reached the deck.

"I've always been a good jumper," Eira said.

"Does it have to do with your magic or whatever it is that you have?" Bepo asked.

"I guess so," Eira replied.

"So how long have you had this magic?" Bepo asked.

Eira blinked at him, her lips curling down into a frown.

"I'm sorry." Bepo bowed his head.

"It's fine," Eira said. "Let's just get inside. I don't feel like answering questions."

"Okay. Follow me," Bepo said, leading her into the sub. "It might be a bit confusing at first, but you'll learn where everything is soon enough. You can always ask one of us for anything."

"Right. I'm so sure your crew would love to help me," Eira said. Her eyes ran around the steel walls, mentally taking in everything incase. Incase of what she wasn't sure. She just wanted to know where everything was. This opened room appeared to not hold much of anything. There were some pipes running along the ceiling and walls but she had no clue what they were for. And she wasn't going to ask. She then noticed the tantalizing smell of sea pig meat floating around in the air. Her mouth watered. She swallowed, ready to eat.

"The stairs are here," Bepo said. "The ramp beside it is for loading crates and stuff. Though the captain often warps heavy stuff into the sub."

Eira looked at him.

"Those stairs lead up to the medical bay," Bepo said pointing to the other set of stairs. "As long as you're responsible the captain will let you get any medication you need. But if you abuse that you'll be punished."

"I never get sick," Eira said.

"Okay then," Bepo said descending the stairs to the next floor. "This floor is where the captain's quarters is located. It's also where some storage rooms and the laundry room are located." They continued on down the stairs. "This floor is where the crews' quarters are, the galley, the rec. room, and the showers. Neo has a lot of books you can read."

"I hate reading," Eira said.

"Oh?" Bepo tilted his head.

"Life is weird enough," Eira said. "Why bother reading a fake one when life can entertain you enough?"

"I guess you have a point," Bepo said. "But it can get pretty boring out here when landmasses are miles to days away from each other. You'll be glad to have them. Neo loves reading."

"Good for her," Eira said. "So which is Neo's room?"

"Neo sleeps with the captain," Bepo said.

"So they're having sex," Eira said.

"No, they're not," Bepo said. "They just share a room. Neo can have nightmares."

"Everyone has nightmares at some point," Eira said. "Why would she need to sleep with him for that? The big baby."

"Don't talk about her like that." Bepo frowned. "Neo's not a baby at all. I can't tell you every thing that's happened to her, but she's had a terrible past. The captain became her pillar of strength when she needed him the most. And she still needs him."

"Well, I can't wait to hear her backstory," Eira said. "We can compare notes."

"Did you have a bad childhood as well?" Bepo asked.

"Are we going to get to wherever it is we're going or are we just going to stand around here talking?" Eira asked.

"We can go. The galley's this way." Bepo turned to his left and walked down the hall. "The next floor is where the brig, the maintenance rooms, more storages, and the training room are. The floor below that is were the main control room and my navigation room are." His stomach grumbled to the roasted smell of sea pig. "Smells so good."

Eira resisted from agreeing. She focused on the walls again. This floor appeared to be the same as the first except for having rooms.

"And this is the galley," Bepo said as he led the way into the room. "I'd give you a whole tour but it smells like dinner is ready. And I'm starving. We can take a full tour afterwards."

"Whatever." Eira adjusted the strap over her shoulder. "It's your ship."

"Sub," Conner said.

"Whatever." Eira looked around the room until her eyes landed on Neo standing at the stove. She huffed. Of course the little blue haired darling was cooking. Reading, cooking, commanded a crew to which she wasn't captain of, that crew showing her unbreakable devotion. She bristled. The desire to plunge her dagger into Neo's heart hit her hard. She fingered the handle. Suddenly a blur stepped in front of her. She blinked. Looking up she found Law staring down at her with a displeased look on his face. She glanced over at Bepo. He took was giving her a displeased look. Apparently their senses were some of the strongest she had seen. They both could tell she wanted to kill Neo.

"Welcome aboard, Eira," Law said. "I hope you'll find it comfortable here. And get along with the rest of the crew."

"Sure," Eira said. "I'm sure everything will be just fine."

"Law, what are you doing?" Neo asked.

"Nothing." Law turned and went back to his seat. "Just welcoming the newcomer. Which reminds me, once you eat and put your things in your room you _will_ come up to the medical bay for a thorough exam."

"What?" Eira asked.

"You heard me," Law said. "It's a mandatory requirement for all new crewmates. You will not be an exception."

"He's right," Topaz said. "We've all had one when we came onboard."

"Fine," Eira said. "I'll do your little check up. And I'll follow your rules. But you all have to follow mine as well. First, I refuse to wear one of those ridiculous boiler suits. Second, I don't want anyone coming into my room without my permission. Third, and most important of all, no one, I mean _no one_ , is to ever touch my sketchbook or dagger. If they do I _will_ kill them."

"We'll respect your property as long as you respect others," Law said.

"Then it's settled." Eira scanned her eyes around the room. She counted the chairs around the rectangular tables and recalled the number of people on the crew. There were more than enough places to sit. She just didn't know where she should go. "So, do you have assigned seating here or something?"

"No, you can sit where you want," Bepo said.

Eira walked away from the bear. She sat down at the opposite end of the kitchen where Neo and Law were. She needed some distance to keep herself from wanting to kill Neo. Now wasn't the right moment. Propping her chin in her hand she watched Neo closely with a bored look on her face. The sweet little female pirate lifting the necessary items for eating out of their assigned places and sat them on the table. Eira rolled her eyes at the multitalented pirate.

"Eira, what would you like to drink?" Neo asked. "We have water, tea, coffee, milk-"

"I hate the taste of milk, coffee, and tea," Eira said. "I'll just have water."

"Oh," Neo said filling a glass with water with a crystal. "Okay. Here you go."

"Great," Eira murmur when Neo sat the glass in front of her with her wind crystal. Her eyes floated over to the door when the rest of the pirates started filing into the galley. She watched them gather around the tables just as Neo was sitting everything out for them. A few wondered in her direction and sat at the table with her but none spoke to her. She didn't mind. She didn't feel like speaking to them anyway. Not that she had anything to say. Stabbing a piece of sea pig, she pulled it to her plate and started eating. The flavors tasted over her taste buds. She growled at herself as she silently admitted that Neo was a good cook.

"You ready to go to your room?" Bepo asked once they were all done.

"I guess so," Eira said. Standing up she followed the bear out into the hall. Her eyes roamed over the doors. A few were open, giving her the ability to look inside. They all were the same. Four beds, in bunk bed style, and two closets appeared to be the only things inside of them with the occasional desk and chair. "Please, tell me I don't have to share a room with someone."

"No, you can have your own room," Bepo said. "The captain has already approved it."

"When?" Eira asked.

"When we were eating," Bepo said. "You were in deep thought. Or it looked like it."

"Oh."

"Well, here we are," Bepo said. He opened the door and led her inside. "You can sleep on which ever bed you want."

"Great," Eira said. She tossed her bag on the lower bunk to her right then sat down on it, testing the mattress. "I guess this is a step up from sleeping in nature."

"Well, if you need extra pillows or blankets you can get them out of the storage rooms," Bepo said. "We keep plenty extra around."

Eira shrugged. "This is fine."

"Remember the captain wants you up in the medical bay," Bepo said, heading back out the door.

"Right." Eira stood up. She removed her cloak, bag, and dagger before leaving the room. She closed the door behind her. "Might as well get it over with." She turned to Bepo. "By the way, where's your room."

"Right there." Bepo pointed to the door right across the hall from hers.

"Well, that's convenient," Eira said.

"There a problem?" Bepo asked.

"No, no problem," Eira said. "I was just curious. At the moment you're the one I like at all."

"Oh. Okay. That's nice," Bepo said, obvious unsure about the whole thing.

"Relax. I'm just better with animals than people," Eira said.

"Just like Neo," Bepo noted.

"I'm _nothing_ like _her_!" Eira hissed.

"I'm sorry." Bepo bowed his head.

Eira huffed. Spinning on her heels, she stomped away from the bear unaware of the confused look he was giving her. She turned and went up the stairs. Voices of the crew floated to her ears but she didn't bother to stop and listen in on them. She wanted to get up to the stupid medical bay and get this exam over with. Her body halted on the stairs. Or was that a good idea? What happened during a physical exam? Would there be something happening that would reveal something to her enemies? She continued up the stairs, wondering if this was a good idea or not. She stopped again when she heard Neo's voice. Looking around she noticed she had reached the medical bay and was at the room she had been _ordered_ to come to. Slipping up to the door, she listened in on the conversation going on inside. She carefully snuck a peak inside to find Law sitting on a rolling office chair with Neo on his lap.

…

"Are you sure you want me here?" Neo asked.

"Yes," Law said.

"But why?" Neo asked. "You never had me around before for an exam."

"Mostly because the crew is made up of men," Law said, smirking at her. "I absolutely refused to let you be around a naked man. I'm the only man you'll ever see naked. Well, once we're married."

"Law!" Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks.

Law chuckled. "You had no problems look at the anatomy of men from my books."

"That's different! Those were just pictures! Drawings! They weren't a real person!" Neo said.

Law leaned back and smiled.

"Oh! You did that on purpose just to see me blush!" Neo pouted. "You're so mean!"

"Sorry." Law leaned forward and pecked her lips.

"Seriously? I thought this was suppose to be a medical exam for me not _her_ ," Eira said.

Neo's cheeks turned a deeper red. She glanced over at the door to find Eira leaning against it with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You're late," Law said with a frown.

 _'I didn't even sense her coming.'_ Neo thought to Law.

 _'Now that you mention it…I didn't sense her either.'_

 _'I wonder why.'_

 _'Perhaps you were too distracted.'_ Law smirked at her.

 _'I wouldn't have been if_ you _didn't tease me like that!'_ Neo narrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Are you two having some kind of secret conversation?" Eira asked.

Neo turned her eyes to Eira and blinked. No one has ever come close to guess that close to the truth. _'Law…'_

 _'Easy, love. It could just be a coincidence.'_ Law patted Neo's back, signaling for her to get up. Once she did he stood up and walked over to a drawer. Opening it, he pulled out an exam gown and held it out to Eira. "Put this on."

"Is this really necessary?" Eira snarled at the plan looking gown.

"It is," Law said. He tossed it at her. "Now get changed."

"Fine." Eira grabbed the gown from him and started removing her clothes.

Law turned his back to her and looked at Neo. He was expecting jealousy to come from his love but it never happened. _'You're not jealous?'_

 _'Not really. I'm a bit annoyed at how she just stared taking off her clothes.'_ Neo blinked. _'That's odd. I wouldn't put up with that from anyone else so why isn't it bothering me with her? I know she doesn't like us, but still.'_

Law thought over her words. He didn't have a clue either. Everything surrounding Eira just seemed to be one mystery right after another. It made him feel like he was back when he first found Neo. He hoped to get some answers during her exam, more answers than when he gave Neo her first exam. Forcing himself away from Neo, he grabbed his chart for Eira off the counter and walked back over to the new girl. "Let's get your weight and height first."

"Whatever you say," Eira said.

Law walked over to the scales and gestured for her to step on it. Once there, he fiddled with the device until her got her weight and height. "One hundred and five pounds for your weight. And five foot five with your height. Let's move on."

"Aye aye, _Captain_." Eira stepped off the scales and walked over to the exam table. "I assume you want me up here?"

"Yes." Law frowned.

 _'She's almost acting like a child.'_ Neo thought to Law.

 _'A spoiled brat is more like it.'_ Law placed the chart down on the table and proceeded with the exam. He tested her reflexes, checked her pulse, her hear, her lungs, probed her abdomen and other such things. While doing his work he noticed something peaking out from underneath her gown on her back. He tugged the grown string loose. His heart pounded against his ribs had enough he thought they were going to break.

Neo rushed over to him upon feeling his distress. She parted her lips to ask what was wrong but stopped when her eyes locket onto what Law was staring at. There on Eira's back was Law's tattoo, the one he had on his chest. The only differences was hers was a dark navy with crystal blue snowflakes and ice shards raining down on her back and right in the middle of the tattoo, where Law's smiley face should have been, was a snow leopard paw print. "Law…that's…"

"Something wrong?" Eira glanced over her shoulder at them.

"How did you get this tattoo on your back?" Law asked. "Who drew it?"

"I don't know," Eira said. "I've always had it."

"Always?" Neo asked. "Even as a kid?"

"Did I s-s-stutter?" Eira asked.

Law grabbed Eira's arm and twisted it behind her back, hard.

"Ouch! What the heck?!" Eira snapped. "Let go of me!"

"I won't tolerate you being so disrespectful to Neo like that," Law hissed.

"Law, it's fine," Neo said, placing her hand on his forearm. "Let her go."

Law glanced at Neo then slowly released Eira.

"Jerk," Eira said.

"What was that?" Law demanded.

"Nothing, _Captain_ ," Eira said. "Are we done yet here?"

"Almost," Law said, forcing himself to calm down. He stepped away from the exam table and over to a cabinet. "I need to take some blood."

"Whatever you say," Eira said.

Law clenched his teeth. With a deep breath, he walked back over and sat the tray down on the exam table. None to gently, he poked the needle into Eira's arm.

"Ouch! Be careful with that!" Eira said.

"You're the one who needs to be careful," Law said. His eyes turned sharp as daggers as he looked directly into her eyes. He searched them for any sign of fear. He found none. All he could see is hallow coldness.

"Eira, that's enough," Neo said.

Law blinked and found not only was her eyes full of coldness, but so was the exam room. It was radiating off her body. Ice crystals crackled and snapped as they spread along the floors, walls, and ceiling.

Neo lifted herself by her wind crystals so her feet didn't freeze on the ice. " _Enough_."

Eira growled but banished her ice.

Law pulled the needle from her skin and slapped a bandage on it. "Now get out of my sight."

"My pleasure," Eira said. She slid off the exam table, quickly pulled her clothes back on and ran out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Law." Neo lowered herself back to the floor as the room warmed back up.

"It's not your fault," Law said. "And it is better to have her here than out there were we can't keep an eye on her." His eyes looked down at the blood in the syringe. His eyebrows drew together in confusion when the blood started shifting and changing colors. It turned from red to an icy blue before disappearing all together. "What the…"

"She's not human," Neo said. "I wonder if it's possible for her to be completely magical to the point her blood isn't like ours."

"Completely magical?" Law dropped the needle back on the tray. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not really sure," Neo said. "It's just a feeling. Even the most powerful Devil Fruit users have issues when fighting large groups of people. Yet she seemed to have no trouble with that when the crew was chasing her." She ran her hand through her hair, releasing a frustrated huff. "I think it's well established that she's not a Devil Fruit user. She can jump extremely high, she can control and create ice and snow, and she has some warping ability. No Devil Fruit user has that many abilities that are unrelated to each other. I don't know. All I know is I need her here."

"Well, I won't put up with her trying to hurt you or being so disrespectful to you like she's been." Law crossed his arms over his chest.

Neo walked around to him. Just as she reached him, his arms unfolded and wrapped around her. "If you really don't want her here then you can kick her off."

"No, I'm not going to do that," Law said. "Like I said, despite her attitude, it's better to have her here with us. But I do not want you alone with her at any point in time. Do you understand me?"

"Aye aye, _Captain._ " Neo smirked. "You've already said that by the way."

Law's frustrations vanished. He chuckled and leaned down to peck her lips. "Such a disrespectful girl you are."

"You love it." Neo closed the small distance between their lips. Closing the door with a wind crystal, she wrapped her arms around his neck then locked her legs around his waist when his hands snaked around her thighs and hoisted her up. She smiled against his lips when he laid her down on the exam table. The tray fell off the table and clanked onto the floor. Both stopped and looked down at it and its scattered contents. "I'm not cleaning that up."

Law smiled and recaptured her lips.

…

Eira stomped down the stairs. Anger spun white hot inside of her. Never, _never_ has she ever been so obedient to someone's orders. So why? Why did she back off when she was told?! And that _someone_ had to be _her_ , it had to be _Neo_ of all people. She hated herself. She hated that she listened. She hated that she agreed to come onboard this stupid place. Reach her _new room_ she slammed the door closed. Reaching the bed, a sharp pain shot through her temples. She grabbed her head and fell onto the bed, curling into a ball. All of her past Death Memories flashed through her head at once as her breathing increased. Then people, _her_ people, filtered into her head. One by one unfamiliar faces passed in front of her eyes until the vision stopped on one particular man with green hair. The young man's face faded. Her head stopped throbbing. Her breathing slowed back to normal.

She uncurled from herself when she knew the pain wasn't going to come back. Slowly, she reached for her bag and pulled it to her. Pulling out her sketchpad, she started etching every single detail of the green haired man's face. She then placed her pencil down on the bed and closed her eyes.

…

Neo opened her eyes. Carefully lifting herself from Law's warm side, she glanced around their room, wondering what had woken her up. The sub was quiet and oddly cool from what it usually was. Soft snores came from Law. She looked at him, wondering if he was trying to catch a cold. Soft snores from him usually meant a cold was coming on. Summoning her solar crystal, she engulfed him in its glow. She didn't want him to get sick with Eira onboard. Seconds later, the snoring stopped. He shifted in his sleep and settled back down, his arm tightening around her waist before relaxing against her. She smiled when his lips curled up slightly. He was having a good dream. Curious, she peaked inside of his dreams. He was fishing with Corazon off a small island. She loved it when he dreamed about Corazon. It always made him happy to see the man even if it was just a dream.

Her eyes turned to the door when something small yet magical scurried around in the hallway. Curious, she carefully removed Law's arm from around her. Summoning her wings, she lifted herself off the bed. As quietly as she could, she opened the door and slipped out in the hall. She glanced down both ways before walking towards the stairs. She jumped when something moved. Jerking her eyes to the stairs, she saw a tiny baby snow leopard. Or she thought it was a snow leopard. It looked like one but its fur was pure white with blue spots and rosettes and it's eyes a sparkling yet electric blue. It kind of reminded her of Eira's snow leopard form. "Oh, hello there. You wouldn't be Eira would you?"

The little leopard tilted its head, its big blue eyes staring curiously at the blue haired woman.

"Can you not talk like other animals?" Neo asked when she didn't get a reply. She reached out for it. "You're clearly magical. I can feel it inside of you. Are you making it cold in here? But where-"

It hissed at her before bolting down the stairs.

"Wait," Neo said. Lifting herself into the air with her wings, she followed it. "You shouldn't be running around here. There're a lot of dangerous places where you can get stuck or get hurt."

Neo landed on the third floor. She blinked in confusion when the baby snow leopard seemed to disappear without a trace. She couldn't even feel it's magic energy anymore. It was just gone. And it was very odd. Not only because it seemed to completely disappear, it seemed to not like her. All animals liked her. So why didn't this one?

She walked down the hall and found herself staring at the room where Eira was sleeping. She still couldn't sense the girl. Reaching for the doorknob, she carefully opened the door and stepped inside. She walked right to Eira's bed and looked down at the girl. Her mind raced over what had happened. No answers came to her. Rubbing the back of her neck, she left the room and went back to hers and Law's. She carefully lowered herself back down to the bed. His arm automatically went back around her.

"You okay?" he mumbled.

"Yes," Neo said. "Just checking on something. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's all right." Law pulled her closer to him. His nose buried into her hair.

Neo snuggled down into his warmth. She wanted to tell him what she had seen but decided could wait until morning.

…

Neo sat on the counter of their sink, kicking her legs while Law shaved. "It was really weird. I know I wasn't dreaming. Do you think Eira can transform into a baby snow leopard?"

"It wouldn't surprise me at all if she can," Law said.

"Maybe I should asked her about it," Neo said. "She might answer me."

"She might, but don't count on it," Law said.

Neo hummed for a few minutes before slipping off the counter. "I think I'll go ask her anyway."

"Have at least one of the crew standing near by. And if she's in her room do not go inside," Law said. "That's an order, Neo."

"Yes, love," Neo said before leaving their bathroom. She exited their room and wondered down to the crew's quarters. Some of them were still inside of their rooms chatting or getting ready for the day.

"Neo, what's up?" Shachi asked when she passed his and Penguin's room.

"I need to ask Eira something," Neo said.

"Want me to come with you?" Shachi asked.

"Might as well." Neo shrugged. "Law doesn't want me alone with her or step into her room."

Shachi nodded. Stepping out of his room he followed Neo on down the hall.

Neo knocked on the door when they reached it.

"What?" Eira asked when she opened the door.

"I have a question for you and I'd like a straight answer," Neo said.

Eira crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Well?"

"Can you transform into a baby snow leopard?" Neo asked.

"What?" Shachi asked, his eyes bouncing from Neo to Eira.

"What are you talking about?" Eira asked.

"Can you transform into a baby snow leopard?" Neo asked again. "I saw one on the sub last night."

"There was a baby snow leopard on the sub?" Shachi asked.

"No," Eira said. "I cannot."

"And why should we believe you?" Shachi asked.

"Because it's the truth," Eira said. "I only have two forms. This snow leopard form you're seeing now and my human form."

"You have a human form?" Shachi asked.

"Duh! Did you really think that I stay like this all of the time?" Eira waved at her body.

"Possibly," Shachi said. "It's not like you're telling us about yourself."

"I have no reason to," Eira said. "And I don't have to if I don't want to. I've answered your question. Is there anything else?"

"No," Neo said.

Eira closed the door.

"What a brat," Shachi said as they walked away.

"Maybe," Neo said. "But I believe she was telling the truth."

"If you say so," Shachi said. "I guess if she's lying we'll find out soon enough."

Neo nodded. "Well, I'm going to head on up to the galley now. See you at breakfast."

"Sure," Shachi said.

Neo waved to him before heading towards the galley.


	12. Like a Cat

Like a Cat

Eira walked along the railing of the sub for the hundredth time that day. She turned on her feet and walked back over the railing. Her eyes drifted up to the sky. She could smell the storm in the air. It was becoming stronger and stronger the closer it got to them. She figured she should probably warn them of it, but she really didn't want to reveal everything she can do to them. Plus she wanted to see how Neo did with storms.

Her eyes dropped back down to the railing of the sub. She was coming upon Shachi and Ikkaku fishing. Upon finally reaching their location, she easily stepped around the lines of the fishing poles that they had currently dangling in the water below them. It was the twenty-fifth time she had done this to them. And she knew each time she did it they were getting more and more annoyed with her.

"Must you do that?" Shachi asked as she passed over his line.

"Of course I must," Eira replied. "I'm extremely bored. There's absolutely nothing to do here."

"There's plenty to do here if you'd just do it," Ikkaku said.

Eira snorted. "I'm not interested in reading. I already told you that."

"You could spar with the crew," Ikkaku said.

Eira snorted again. "You all are way to easy to beat. That was proven when you all tried to catch me back on Morning Glory."

"Only because you cheated with that power of yours," Ikkaku said.

"It's not _cheating_ if it's a natural part of me," Eira said. "And it's magic not powers."

"What do you mean by that?" Ikkaku looked at the girl.

"Nothing," Eira said. "It doesn't matter. The only ones on this stupid ship that could possible be a challenge is that captain of yours and his lover. Though I don't hold out much hope for either of them."

"It's a sub not a ship. Then why bring it up?" Ikkaku mumbled. "And the captain and Neo aren't that easy to bet. They would take you down easily"

"I only brought it up to annoy you." Eira tossed a smirk back at them. "And they would have a lot harder time taking me down than you'd think they would."

Ikkaku gripped her pole hard. "You little creep!"

"Relax, Ikkaku," Shachi said rolling his shoulders. "She's just trying to bait you into an argument."

"Well, it's working," Ikkaku said. "She's just so cocky. She wasn't _that_ hard to catch."

"I'll continue to let you think that. Can't we go fighting some Navy soldiers or something?" Eira asked. Reaching the other end of the railing, she turned and headed back. "I thought you pirates did nothing but fight out here on the open sea."

"Have you lost it?" Ikkaku asked. "We're apart of them now. Well, sort of. The captain's a Warlord of the Sea. Despite how much fun it would be to mess with them we can't risk the captain's spot as a Warlord. He'd lose it if we fought them now. Besides, we don't always fight out here. There's plenty of open space that keeps us away from others."

"Where the soldiers are concerned, I know that," Eira said. "Everyone knows that. It's not like it's a secret. But why did he even bother becoming a Warlord in the first place. It doesn't suit his nature being a dog for the Navy."

"And how would you know what the captain's like?" Shachi asked. "You've only been here a few days."

"I know him well enough," Eira said, walking back over their poles. She smirked when she felt their annoyance radiate off them. "I read all the newspaper articles I could find on him and _her_."

"Is there a particular reason you don't like Neo and the captain?" Ikkaku asked.

"Like she's going to answer that," Shachi said.

"I have my reasons," Eira said. "And they're none of your business."

"They are our business if you're going to-ah!" Ikkaku screamed when she and Shachi were knocked back by a wave hitting the side of the sub.

Eira laughed at them. "How could such a small wave like that knock you two big and strong pirates over?! That was pathetic!"

"What the?!" Ikkaku growled. She sat up to lung at Eira but stopped when she noticed the girl was still standing on the railing like nothing had happened. "How are you still able to stand there? Do you have glue on your feet?"

"I have better balance than you humans do," Eira said. "Either that or you are just a lot weaker than you think you are."

"What?!" Ikkaku's face burned red. "You jerk! You're going to pay for that remark!"

"Maybe." Eira smirked. "If you get strong enough someday."

"You're just all kinds of annoying, aren't you?" Shachi said adjusting his hat and sunglasses. The two Heart Pirates were thrown to the deck once more when another wave hit the Polar Tang.

Eira laughed at them.

"Everyone inside!" Neo cried out from the door. "A big storm's coming this way!"

"Feels like its already here," Shachi said while picking himself and his pole up off the floor. He and Ikkaku stumbled inside.

"Eira! You too!" Neo said.

"Fine." Eira hopped down from the railing and casually strolled into the sub, greeting the bear upon entering. "Hey, Bepo."

"Eira," Bepo said.

Eira stopped to watch Bepo closed the door. The shut with a loud clank and several clicks later it was locked and secured. He then stepped over to a device hanging on the wall and spoke into it. He said, "Okay, Jean Bart. We're ready to dive."

"Dive?!" Eira's eyes widened.

"You're not scared, are you?" Neo asked.

"Of course not!" Eira scoffed. "I'm just bored on this stupid ship! Going underwater is only going to make that worse!"

"Sub," Neo said.

"Whatever!" Eira rolled her eyes. "It's just a fact that it's going to get even more boring in here while we're stuck under water! We can't go outside!"

"We have to dive," Neo said. "The storm is going to be very big. It could damage the sub. And since we're days away from another island we have to do what we need to protect our home."

"How can you call this place your home?" Eira asked, confused.

"Because it is," Neo said.

"Homes aren't supposed to be like this!" Eira waved her hand around.

"What are they suppose to be like then?" Neo tilted her head.

"Well, I don't know! But not like this!" Eira said.

"You don't seem to know what a home really is," Bepo said.

"Shut up!" Eira snapped.

"I'm sorry." Bepo bowed his head.

"Don't yell at him like that," Shachi said. "That's our job. And, Bepo, stop being so weak."

"I'm sorry," Bepo said again.

"I can yell at him all I want!" Eira snapped. "And don't call him weak! He's not!"

"He is, too!" Shachi said.

"I can't believe you two are arguing over something so stupid," Ikkaku said.

"Then stay out of this!" Shachi and Eira said.

"Don't yell at me or tell me what to do!" Ikkaku said.

The three moved in closer to each other until wind pulled them apart. Hovering in the air, they looked down at Neo. "All right, you three. Settle down before Law comes up here and makes you all clean the sub from top to bottom every day for the next three months."

"Sorry," Shachi and Ikkaku said.

"You guys bow down to her far too much," Eira said.

"We don't _bow_ _down_ to her," Shachi said as Neo lowered them back to the floor. "We respect her because she's our co-captain and because we love her. She's our sister."

"She can't be the sister to all of you," Eira said.

"Of course she can," Shachi said. "We're family."

"Whatever. It's your delusion." Eira snorted and walked off. Stepping down the stairs she paused to listen in on their conversation.

"She's such a brat," Ikkaku said.

"Just be patient with her," Neo said. "I'm sure she's a lot nicer than she appears to be. I think she just hasn't had a good home life."

"How can you tell?" Shachi asked.

"Just the way she refers to family," Neo said. "Please, try to get along with her."

"Okay, we'll try," Ikkaku said.

"We'll do it for you," Shachi added.

Eira rolled her eyes. She could practically taste their hugging. Pushing it aside, she continued on down the stairs to try and find something to entertain herself with. Her ears twitched upon hearing footsteps coming closer to her. A smile curled upon her lips. She stilled, blending into the world around her, and waited for them to come closer.

"Maybe. I'd like to look for one when we land at the next island. When do you think that'll be?"

"Probably a few more weeks. We don't really have any missions right now from the Navy so we have some down time."

Five more feet and they were close enough. Eira leaped out at them. They cried out at the invisible force tackling them to the ground.

"What the heck?!"

"What happened?!"

"You two are pathetic," Eira said making herself visible again. "You should have been able to sense that I was there."

"Why would we?! We're on our sub! We're not expecting to get ambushed!"

"That's no excuse," Eira said. "I can't believe you are part of a crew whose captain is a Warlord. It must have been a fluke for him to become that."

"Hey! Shut up!"

"Sorry you can't handle the truth." Eira leaped off of them and ran down the hall. She laughed when they shouted out how they were going to skin her. "Whatever!"

She continued on down the hall then disappeared when she heard someone coming her way. She tackled them. Each time they protested her but she only laughed.

"Why are you doing this?" Archer asked.

"Because I'm bored. I have to do something to entertain myself," Eira said.

"And you can't be normal and read a book or something else?" Archer said. "Go play poker or something."

"That's dull," Eira said. "I'm a feline. I need to be simulated."

"Simulation shouldn't include tackling us like prey," Archer said.

"What part of feline do you people not understand?" Eira asked.

"You're just using that as an excuse," Archer said.

"Maybe." Eira smirked. It dimmed when she saw and felt Archer shiver underneath her. "What?"  
"That smirk," Archer said. "It was just like the captain's. How come you look so much like him and Neo?"

"What are you talking about?" Eira said. "I'm nothing like them at all."

"Haven't you looked in a mirror?" Archer asked.

"Of course I have." Eira frowned.

"You have the captain's eyes," Archer said.

"More than one people can have the same color eyes," Eira said. "It doesn't mean anything."

"It's not just that," Archer said. "You have physical attributes that are almost identical to the captain and Neo."

"I'm not them!" Eira hissed before jumping off of him and running down the hall. She slowed down. "Stupid pirates! I should just kill them all and leave!"

Coming to the bathroom, she halted and looked at the door. She went in. Checking to make sure no one else was inside, she stepped up to one of the mirrors hanging over the sink. She stared at herself, her eyes and brain searching for similarities between herself, Law, and Neo. She didn't see any. Or maybe she did. Her eyes were similar to the captain's in color. But that didn't mean anything. Did it? She shifted to her human form and stared at herself. With each second that passed she started making more and more connections to herself and the two she was aiming to kill. Her blue eyes were very similar to Neo as well as the shape. Anger flared up inside of her. Pulling her fist back she swung and shattered the mirror before stomping out of the bathroom. Just before she exited she turned back into her snow leopard form. "This whole thing is just stupid! It's just my imagination!"

She paused at her room for a few minutes before turning and headed to the rec. room. She stepped inside to find Neo and Bepo had come here from above. They both were sitting on the couch reading.

"Need something, Eira?" Neo asked looking up from her book.

"No," Eira scoffed. "Just because I walk into a room doesn't mean I need something."

"Okay." Neo lowered her eyes back to her book.

Eira sighed inwardly before walking over to the farthest corner of the room. She stretched out her body before laying down on the floor. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift off for a catnap. Forty minutes later, she woke up. "Geez it's so hot in here."

"Feels fine to me," Neo said.

"You don't have fur to deal with," Eira said.

"I can cool down the sub with my crystals if you want," Neo said.

"Don't bother," Eira said. "I'm ice, remember?" Ice crackled and snapped as it spread out over the corner she was laying in. "That's so much better."

"Wow. It really does feel good," Bepo said when a rush of cool air reached him.

"You can join me if you want," Eira said.

"Really?" Bepo asked.

"Sure. I'm sure you get really hot under water with your own fur coat," Eira said extending her ice for the bear.

"That's so great," Bepo said. Placing his book down on the couch, he stood up and walked over to her. He sat down with a relieved shy. "This feel so good!"

"Yeah!" Eira tackled him to the floor. "It does!"

Bepo laughed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Playing," Eira said.

"In that case." Bepo grabbed Eira and flipped her over onto her back. The two then proceeded to roll around on the ground like two baby animals playing with each other.

"What's going on?" Penguin asked when he walked into the room and saw the two on the ground rolling over ice.

"Eira apparently wanted to play with Bepo," Neo said watching the two.

"And here I thought she hated us all," Penguin said. "She seems to be fine with Bepo."

"That's a good thing," Neo said.

"If you say so." Penguin walked over to Neo and sat down beside her. The two watched as Bepo and Eira continued to roll around. "At least she's not tackling the crew anymore, at least for the moment."

"What do you mean?" Neo looked at her brother.

"I was talking to come of the crew before coming in here," Penguin said. "Eira can apparently disappear into her surroundings. She's been sneak attacking the crew."

"I see," Neo said. "Well, I guess it's all right as long as she doesn't hurt anyone."

"I think the crew would disagree," Penguin said.

"If it gets too much Law and I will speak to her about it," Neo said.

Penguin looked at her.

"What?" Neo asked.

"Nothing. You just sounded like a parent just now," Penguin said.

"Really?" Neo asked. "I did?"

"You did." Penguin nodded. He placed his arms on the back of the couch and crossed his legs. "Normal I guess. Those two are acting like children currently."

Neo hummed in thought. She watched as Bepo and Eira played for a soldier forty-five minutes before they finally stopped. Her eyebrows drew together when Eira lifted her arm to her face and started to lick her arm like an actual cat.

"Okay," Penguin said. "That's not weird at all."

"Maybe," Neo said.

"Neo," Basil said upon entering the room.

Neo looked up at the man. He was twirling a drying cloth. "What's up?"

"Just clearing dinner with you," Basil said. "You still wanting spaghetti?"

"Yes," Neo said.

"Alright." Basil nodded. "I'll get started on the breadsticks then." He dropped his eyes to his right when he saw something move. There Eira was eyeing the drying cloth that he was swinging around and around. Confused he looked back to Neo and Penguin, the latter just shrugged. His eyes went back to Eira. He watched as she fell into temptation, she reached out and swatted at the cloth. She missed. Swatting at it again, she grabbed onto it and tugged. "Hey!" He pulled the cloth from her hands. "What do you think you're doing? That's not a toy!"

Eira didn't answer. Her eyes remained locked onto the cloth before lunging at it.

"Hey!" Basil stumbled backwards. His feet tangled with each other causing him to fall back. Wind wrapped around him, keeping him from hitting the floor. "Thanks, Neo."

"Sure thing," Neo said. She then wrapped her winds around Eira and pulled her away from Basil. The snow leopard continued to swipe out at the cloth despite being several feet away from it.

"Is she even aware of what she's doing?" Bepo asked.

"I'm not sure," Penguin said. "Eira? Hey, Eira?"

Eira didn't answer. Her eyes just remained locked onto the cloth as she started to purr.

"Okay. This had gone so far passed weird," Penguin said.

"I'm going to go start those breadsticks now," Basil said backing out of the rec. room.

"I'll join you in a little while," Neo said.

"I'll be waiting," Basil said before disappearing.

"We have got to try and get some answers from her," Penguin said. "Since she seemed to like Bepo a lot he should do it."

"I could try," Bepo said. "What do you say, Neo?"  
"That might be a good idea," Neo said. "I'll talk to Law about this later." She released Eira from her winds. The girl romped around the room before curling back up in the ice covered corner. A few minutes later Neo put up her book and headed for the galley. On her way there, she came across Law. She slipped her hand into his and told him what happened with Eira in the rec. room. "I'm beginning to think she really is a feline somehow. I though that she might be like me in some way."

"Maybe Bepo will be able to get something out of her," Law said.

"I hope so," Neo said. "I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens. You going to talk to Bepo about it?"

"I'll go talk to him now," Law said.

"I think he's still in the rec. room." Neo nodded just as they stepped into the galley. She pecked his lips before separating from him.

Law watched her walk over to Basil before turning away from the room. Headed down the hall to the rec. room and stepped inside. Bepo, Penguin, and Eira were in the room. Bepo and Eira were in the corner. He eyed the ice on his sub floor and walls curiously.

"Eira did it," Penguin said with a shrug.

"Bepo," Law called. "I'd like to have word with you."

"Sure thing, Captain," Bepo said. He pushed himself to his feet and followed Law out into the hall. "What's going on?"

"I want you to spend some time with Eira," Law said.

"Okay," Bepo replied.

"Neo told me what happened a few minutes ago in here," Law said. "You might be able to get her to tell you about herself. We need to get more information on her."

"I'll try, Captain," Bepo said.

Law nodded in acceptance to his words. "I'd also like you to keep an eye on her when off the sub. I don't think she'll run away or anything. I just don't trust her yet."

"Aye, Captain," Bepo said. "I'll do what I can."

…

The next day Bepo was wandering around the sub trying to think of what he could do to get Eira alone and talk to her. She didn't seem to like anything so he didn't have a lot of ideas. All he could come up with was fishing, sparring, and showing her around his navigation room. He figured his navigation room would just bore her so he was divided between fishing and sparring. All too soon he found himself at Eira's room. He stared at the closed door for several minutes before finally getting himself to knock on the door. Muffled shuffling came before the door finally opened.

"Oh, Bepo," Eira said. "I didn't expect you."

"I was just wondering if you wanted to do something with me," Bepo said.

"Like what?" Eira asked. "Are we stopping on an island?"  
"No, not yet," Bepo said. "It'll be probably another week or more before we come to the next island."

"Oh." Eira frowned.

"There a problem with that?" Bepo asked.

"Well, no, not really," Eira said. "I was just bored and getting a little restless. I'm use to being on ships where I can roam all over the place in the open air. I guess I'm feeling a bit claustrophobic or something."

"I see," Bepo said getting the feeling sparring would probably the better recreation to do with her. "Then how about we go to the training room and spar for a while?"

"You want to spar?" Eira perked up.

"Sure." Bepo nodded. "I thought you might like to-"

"Let's go!" Eira grabbed Bepo's arm and pulled him towards the stairs. She pulled him all the way down to the fourth floor then into the rec. room where some of the crew was getting ready to leave. "Perfect timing."

"What's up, Bepo?" Ikkaku asked.

"Did you need something?" Clione added.

"No, we're just going to spar for a while," Bepo said.

Ikkaku and Clione looked at Eira then back at Bepo.

"It'll be fine," Bepo said. "She's our crewmate now."

"If you say so," Ikkaku said.

"We'll just get out of your way then," Clione said while heading for the door.

Ikkaku followed him. They both gave the two one last look before disappearing down the hall.

"You ready?" Eira asked.

"Yeah." Bepo stood ready. Lifting his paws up he waited for Eira's attack.

"I'll go easy on you and not use my magic," Eirai said. She followed Bepo's stance before charging forward.

Bepo ducked to his left to miss her punch.

"Not bad," Eira said. "I knew you were fast."

"You're pretty fast yourself," Bepo said while he and Eira exchanged a flurry of punches and kicks. "You'd actually fit right in back on Zou."

"Zou?" Eira asked. She leaped into the air and tried to hammer Bepo with her heel.

Bepo blocked her attack with his arm, grabbed her ankle, and slammed her onto the floor.

Eira twisted just enough to get her hands underneath her. Pushing up on the floor, she kicked her other foot at Bepo.

Bepo dodged her kicked but let her go in the process. He shifted back into blocking her punches and kicked when she charged at him. "It's where I'm from. It's on the back of a giant elephant."

"You lived on the back of a giant elephant?" Eira asked.

"That's right," Bepo said. "The Mink Tribe lives there. Some of them are really fast like you are."

"Sounds interesting," Eira said. "Is that where you learned to fight?"

"Some of it. And some stuff I've learned since being with the captain," Bepo replied. He threw a punch and kick to which she dodged. "I left my home when I was a kid to find my brother. He left the island."

"Have you found him yet?" Eira asked jumped up to avoid Bepo's kick. She landed on his leg, kicked off, did a backflip in the air, and then charged at him with another punch.

"No, not yet," Bepo said. "But maybe someday."

"I'm guessing he's a polar bear too," Eira said.

"He is." Bepo nodded. He kicked, landing his boot in the middle of Eira's stomach. "Ack! I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize!" Eira landed two kicks on his stomach. "We're sparring!"

Bepo fell back on to the ground. He jumped up. "I'm sorry!"

"Good. Then come at me like you mean it," Eira said.

Bepo charged forward. He exchanged another bout of kicks and punches for a few minutes before they jumped away from each other. He huffed and puffed while trying to catch his breath. "Not bad at all. Who did you learn to fight from?"

Eira dropped her eyes to the floor. Her chest heaved up and down from the sparring.

"You can tell me," Bepo said.

"No one important," Eira said. "And I don't want to talk about it. So don't ask anymore."

"Eira, we're crewmates now," Bepo said. "Why won't you tell anyone about yourself?"

"Because I don't have to," Eira said.

"So you won't tell anyone anything?" Bepo asked.

"That's right," Eira said.

"What if I don't ask you anything now and try again later?" Bepo asked.

"Don't count on me telling you anything ever," Eira said.

Bepo sighed. "Then why are you here?"  
"Didn't you hear what I said?" Eira asked. "I'm not telling you or anyone else anything. Why are you pushing this? Did those annoying captains of yours tell you to try and get me to talk? They did, didn't they?"

"Only the captain did," Bepo said. "Can you blame us? You're so different from anyone we've met before."

"Being different isn't a crime, Bepo." Eira narrowed her eyebrows.

"No, it's not," Bepo said.

"Then listen and listen good," Eira said. "For the last time, I'm not tell you or anyone else anything about myself. Get that through your thick heads." She stomped towards the door and left. "I've had enough of this. I'm going back to my room."

"The captain's not going to be pleased with this," Bepo said to himself.

…

Archer whistled to himself as he strolled down the stairs towards the main control room to relieve Jean Bart. Suddenly, he found his body rushing towards the floor. His body collided with it. Only then did he feel the weight of someone on his back. He glanced over his shoulder. Eira was there, her tail swishing back and forth. Her lips smiling victoriously while her tongue brushed over her fangs. But what sent shivers up and down his spine was the sadistic look in her steel colored eyes, the same colored eyes that the captain would get when he was about to mess with his own prey. It was creepy how similar this stranger was to the captain and Neo. "Will you get off of me?! What the heck?!"

"You're my prey," Eira said. She raked her claws over his cheeks starting with her pinky and going to her index finger. "Such a good, tasty little mousy you must be."

"That's not funny!" Archer pushed up on his arms hoping to throw her off him but she easily jumped before he could. He stood up and looked around, the doors were all still closed. There was nothing in the hall that could have hidden her body from him. "What the…how did you even…where were you hiding? How do you keep doing this?"

"That's my secret," Eira said. "And you'll never figure it out."

Archer growled.

"That's my thing," Eira said, releasing a real growl from her throat.

Archer rolled his eyes. "Why do you always remain in your leopard form? You've been here for almost two weeks and we have yet to see you in your human form."

"What difference does that make? I like this form better," Eira said. "It's more fun than my human form."

"Can you not use your freaky magic in your human form?" Archer asked.

"Of course I can," Eira said. "I'm still me in either form."

"Whatever. I give up on you." Adjusting his boiler suit, Archer proceeded down the hall and stepped into the control room.

"Something wrong?" Jean Bark asked over the beeping of the controls.

"Eira jumped me again," Archer said.

"How many times does that make it?" Jean Bart asked.

"Eight times in the passed three days," Archer said. "It's like the crew has become her favorite play thing."

"Possibly has," Jean Bart said. "She hasn't done much of anything else since she's been on the sub."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Archer frowned.

"Well, she is a cat, sort of," Jean Bart said. "Maybe this is just normal for her?"

"I think it's just an excuse to attack us. Besides we still don't know what kind of powers or magic she actually has. I'm starting to think that it's possible that it's a new form of Devil Fruit," Archer said. He crossed his arms and leaned against the control panel. "I still can't figure out how she can seemingly just appear out of no where even with magic. I remember that there's a Devil Fruit that can turn a person invisible, but I think that person is still alive. And there's the face she can create ice. We know Aokiji is still alive."

"Hm." Jean Bart hummed in thought. "Well, Neo did say that snow leopard use their spots and fur to camouflage themselves in the snow. Perhaps this is a new form of Devil Fruit and she can use the abilities of snow leopards?"

"Possibly but that still doesn't explain why she's still human size. If this is a Zoan Devil Fruit then she should be growing at least ten times her size," Archer said. "And if you hadn't noticed, the color of her fur isn't the same as a real snow leopards. Her fur, her spots are blue. And snow leopards blend into the snow because of the color of their fur. Her fur is no where near the color of the sub walls."

"Well, she's magical, right?" Jean Bart. "We know the magical doesn't follow the same rules as the nonmagical. And Neo and the captain have questioned before what would happen if a magic creature ate a Devil Fruit. Perhaps it is different for them. Perhaps their magic warps the abilities of the Devil Fruit and changes it. Maybe we should test her with some sea prism stone."

"This is such a pain," Archer said rubbing his forehead. "I'm getting a headache from all of this thinking. We're going to be constantly attack by that girl every single day unless we can figure out how to stop her or sense that she's coming."

"Maybe the captain can do something about it," Jean Bart said. He stood up from the chair he was currently occupying. "I'll go speak to him right now."

"Great," Archer said claiming the seat. "Let him know I'm ordering a bell for her that weights a ton. That way she'll have no choice but to stay in one place."

Jean Bart smiled and left the room. Wandering through the halls he looked around, wondering if Eira was somewhere close by. So far he's been one of the lucky few that hadn't been tackled by her. He often wondered if she didn't _attack_ him because of his size. He didn't think so with how many Navy soldiers and pirates she's taken down. But the thought was always present since she started sneak attacking the crew. Coming to the medical bay, he found a door open and his captain inside. He tapped on the doorframe.

"Come in," Law said.

Jean Bart stepped inside. "You busy?"

"No, not really," Law said. "I'm just going through some old files to see what I can move down into storage and what I need to leave up here."

Jean Bart eyed the medical files and papers scatter over the medical room counter and exam table. He never could tell if the captain was busy or not when the room looked like this. "I'll make this quick. Archer asked me to make a request that you put some kind of bell on Eira."

Law frowned. "Sneak attack again, huh?"

"Yeah." Jean Bart nodded.

"The others have been asking me to do something about her as well," Law said. He tapped his pencil on his on the counter in thought. "And I have to say I'm getting really tired of her attacking the crew like that. I'll see what I can do about it."

"Thank you, Captain." Jean Bart turned and left the room.

…

Eira laid in her bunk listening to the nighttime silence. With her dagger in her hand, she balanced the tip of the blade on the tip of her index finger. Her mind was processing the days she had been with the pirates. In that time she hadn't had a chance to try and kill Neo or Law. She growled at herself. She should have at least attempted it by now. But why hadn't she? Did that captain's threat in the galley have more affect on her than she realized? No, it couldn't have. She was powerful. She knew that. She could easily freeze them both solid in seconds. So why hasn't she?

Growling in frustration, she flipped the dagger into the air and grabbed its handle. She was going to kill Neo tonight. She knew Law wasn't with Neo at the moment. He was off doing _captain_ things or something like that. She wasn't sure. All she knew was he wasn't around her because she had went to bed when the captain headed up to the medical bay about two hours ago. No one was around the sweet blue haired pirate. The little pirate princess was fast asleep in their shared bed. It would be a perfect time for her to kill her target since Neo was always under constant guard during the day. But had enough time passed? Could she pull it off?

She had to. Lifting from her bed, she placed the dagger back in its sheath and head for the door. She cracked the door open and listened for any signs of the pirates. The hall was silent. Opening the door more, she stepped out in the hall, closed it, and disappeared into her surroundings. Like a mouse, she slipped her way up to the captain and Neo's shared room one floor up. With one glance down the hall, she entered into the room. Her eyes scanned the lightly lit room and landed on a large white bear in the corner on her right. She jumped, thinking it was Bepo. She relaxed when the thing didn't move or say her name. Walking over to it, she examined the stuffed animal before punching it in the face. Straightening up her eyes landed on some pictures in a strange crystal box on the wall. The pictures held four different people. Two of them were obviously Neo's parents. The pirate princess looked so much like her parents that Eira had to hold in a gag. Her eyes then drifted to the red haired man. He was familiar. She's heard his name many times back on her home island. It was red haired Shanks. Her eyebrows drew together. She wondered how such a powerful man came to know Neo and her parents. But she pushed it aside. It didn't really matter. Her eyes then landed to the other person in the photo. A familiar green haired boy stared back at her. It was the guy from her Death Memory only younger. She wondered if this kid was related to Neo somehow. Maybe he was part of Neo's family somehow. Surely her parents wouldn't just be taking random pictures with some kids. Or perhaps the boy was related to Shanks in some way.

She stepped away from the corner and over to the bed. There she was. Neo was sleeping peacefully. Neo's head was on one pillow while she was hugging another tightly to her chest. Eira rolled her eyes knowing the pillow Neo was hugging was Law's. Reaching behind her, she pulled out her dagger. The blade glinted in the nightlights around the room. She carefully knelt on the bed, lifted the dagger over her head, and started to swing then paused. Something held her arm back. She knew she had to kill Neo and Law to be free of her pain. And she had the perfect opportunity right now. So why couldn't she do it? Neo rolled onto her back. Why couldn't she shove her dagger into Neo's open chest?

She blinked. Suddenly the dull lights were replaced with the bright lights of the hallway. Two hands grabbed her, one wrapped around her neck while the other wrapped around her wrist. Air expelled from her lungs as her back collided hard against the wall. Her steel colored eyes met the murderous, fury filled steel eyes of the captain. Her heart skipped a beat. She had been caught. And he was going to kill her for trying to kill Neo in her sleep.

…

Law did everything thing he could to not rip out Eira's throat in the very second he warped her out of their room. And it was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. No one, _no one_ , threatened or attempted to kill his love. He wouldn't stand for it. His eyes as cold as her ice, he glared at her. His nails perched into her skin but not yet breaking it. "You listen and you listen good. I have tolerated your crappy attitude, your constant _attacks_ on my crew, and your death glares you've been giving Neo and me since you've set foot on my sub. But I will _not_ tolerant you trying to attempt killing her."

"You won't do anything to me." Eira smirked. "I'm under the _protection_ of your precious little lover."

"Don't under estimate me," Law said. "Neo will understand if I kill you. And if you ever try it again I _will_ kill you. You can ask anyone on the crew. I have killed for her before. I won't hesitate to do it again."

Eira's smirk faded when Law warped her dagger from her hand and into his. "Give that back. It's _mine_."

"You'll get it back when you prove yourself trustworthy," Law said, keeping his fingers tight on her throat. His sadistic nature stirred inside of him. Oh what he would do to her in a second if Neo weren't just a few feet away from them. He contemplated taking Eira to another part of the sub where her pain filled cries wouldn't be heard by anyone onboard. But he didn't. He continued to trust Neo's instincts.

"You can't do that," Eira said.

"I'm the _captain_. I can do as I wish on _my sub_." Law glanced out of the corner of his eye when he felt Neo waking up from all the noise he had unintentionally made. He released her and took a step back. "Get out of here. I don't want you coming anywhere near this room again. Understood?"

"Whatever." Eira rolled her shoulders and walked down the hall.

Law watched her go before entering into their room to find Neo sitting up, his shirt hanging off her shoulder. He walked over, placed the dagger on the floor, and sat down on the bed.

"Law." Neo reached out and tugged his shirt while rubbing her eye sleepily. "I heard a noise and woke up. What's going on?"

"Nothing, love, just one of the crew getting a bit unruly. I set them straight. They won't wake you up again," Law said. He leaned over and pressed his lips to her bare shoulder.

"Come to bed. I want snuggles," Neo said, tugging his shirt again.

"I will in a few minutes." Law kissed her forehead. "There's something I have to take care of first. Lay back down."

"Okay." Neo obey him and laid back down on the bed.

Law pulled the covers back up over her. He waited until she fell asleep before getting up from the bed. Leaving the room with the dagger in hand, he headed down to the fifth floor and entered into one of the storage rooms where he knew he'd find Conner. Like he knew, the man was hunkered over some project at his table. "Conner."

"What's up, Captain?" Conner pushed his goggled to the top of his head.

"I need you to make a bell and collar with a lock," Law said.

"A bell and collar with a lock?" Conner blinked in confusion.

"It's for Eira," Law said. "The crew has asked me to do something about her sneak attacks."

"Ah," Conner said with a nod. "Sure thing. That won't be a problem."

"When can you have it ready?" Law asked.

"Well, I'll have to look around," Conner said. "But I think I have something I can use and have it ready by tomorrow."

Law nodded back then left to get ready for bed. Getting back to their room he debated on what to do with Eira's dagger. Hoping it would be safe; he stashed it in their closet. He then rushed through his nightly routine before climbing into bed with Neo. Like he knew, she instantly snuggled into his side, humming with delight that he was now with her. He kissed her hair and slipped his arms around her. "Sleep well, love."

…

Eira slammed her door closed. She didn't care if she woke anyone up. She was far too angry to care. Not only want she anger she got caught, she was angry that she didn't even sense the man coming. She should have. But why didn't she? What happened? What went wrong? Walking the length of the room, she punched the wall then walked back towards the door. "That idiot! How dare he take away my dagger! It's mine! He had no right! I don't care if he is the captain or not! I'm going to kill him for that!"

She paused and stared at it before sighing. "This is so stupid. What's wrong with me? I had the perfect opportunity to kill her and I failed. I froze. Why did I freeze up like that?" She walked the length of the room again. "Maybe I just moved too quickly?"

With another sigh she looked at her bed then headed for the door. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep tonight. She needed to work off this anger in some way. Walking around the sub might help. Making her way through the deserted halls, she heard the clanking of a hammer on some kind of metal and decided to follow it into one of the storage rooms. Stepping into the only door open, she saw one of the pirates hunkered over a crate with a bunch of tools scattered around it. Her nosed twitched. The air was full of grease of some kind.

Conner glanced over at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Last I checked no one said this room was off limits," Eira said.

"I was just asking a simple question," he said turning back to his work.

"Just looking around." Eira walked into the room. Her eyes trailed over the walls were various tools and projects hung. "I don't feel tired. So I thought I'd walk around for a while. Not many are up at this hour."

"Yeah," Conner said. "The crew sleeps a lot when they're bored. And it is nighttime after all."

Eira stopped at a crate where a chain was laying. She tilted her head upon feeling something strange about the chain. She reached for it. "What's this chain? It feels kind of-uh." She froze when her fingers curled around it. Her body drained suddenly of energy. Her knees buckled. She crashed to the floor taking the chain with her. "What the…" She formed her ice around her body in an attempt to move the chain off of her but her ice didn't do what she wanted. It spread out on the floor in various directions as if it couldn't make up its mind where it wanted to go. "Why did my…energy…gone…"

"What are you doing?" Conner stood up and walked over to her, slipping a bit on the ice. He picked the chain up off of her and placed it back on the crate then looked back down at her. "Are you okay?"

"What the heck was that?! What are you trying to do to me?!" Eira jumped back up and glared at him. Her ice pulled back inside of her body.

"What are you talking about?! I didn't do anything to you!" Conner yelled back.

"Then why did that chain take my energy away from me?!" Eira pointed at the offensive item. "And why did my ice not listen to me?!"

"How should I know?! You're not a Devil Fruit…" Conner's voice trailed off.

"What?" Eira asked when he didn't continue.

Conner didn't answer. He just dashed around her and out of the room.

"Thanks for nothing!" Eira shouted out to him. With an annoyed huff she wandered back up to her bedroom and stayed there until she fell asleep. "Pirates are so stupid."

…

Conner dashed up the stairs, three at a time. He had to get to his captain. He had to tell him what he had just seen. Reaching the he banged on it a few times then waiting for his captain to come to the door.

"What is it now?" Law asked, sounding displeased with the interruption of his sleep.

"I'm sorry, Captain," Conner said. "I though you should know that sea prism stone affects Eira."

"What?" Law snapped fully awake. "What do you mean?"

"It affects her," Conner said. "Not like it does you, but it did make her weaker. She was still able to user her ice powers, or whatever they are, but they didn't work normally. They, it, didn't listen to her. It spread out over the floor. It was like the ice or Eira couldn't make her mind on where she wanted the ice to go. I thought Neo said she was magical."

"She did," Law said.

"Then how can someone magical be affected by the sea prism stone? Is she really a Devil Fruit user after all?" Conner said. "I know she said she hasn't ate a Devil Fruit before, but maybe she did and wasn't aware of it?"

"I doubt it. Devil Fruits have a horrible taste to them. If she ate on she would remember it," Law said.

"Then what do we do?" Conner asked.

"I have no idea," Law said curling his fists. "At least we know we have a defense against her now."

"Something happen, Captain?" Conner asked. "You look upset about something."

Just continue on with the task I gave you."

"Eira tried to kill Neo tonight," Law said.

"What?! That little…I'm going to skin her alive!" Conner hissed.

"Don't worry about it," Law said.

"Don't worry about it?!" Conner looked at his captain like the man sprouted an extra head.

"I could be wrong, but I think Eira really won't kill either of us," Law said.

"You've got to be kidding," Conner said.

"I'm not," Law said. "I could feel her hesitated. She had plenty of time to kill Neo before I warped her into the hall. Just let this go for now. I want to see what happens next."

"Well, all right," Conner said. "You're the captain."

"Don't mention anything about what we've talked about tonight," Law said. "Just continue on with the task I gave you."

"Aye, Captain." Scratching his neck in confusion, he walked away.

Law's eyebrows drew together while his mind raced over everything that had happened this night. One question in particular screamed out above all the others. What the heck did they invite into their home?

He closed the door and laid back down. Unable to sleep now, he propped up on his elbow and watched Neo sleep. Perhaps he was going about this while Eira thing the wrong way. Despite hating the thought that came to his mind, he was coming to the conclusion if he was to get answers from Eira then himself and Neo were going to have to get them from her. And since Eira clearly view Neo as the weaker link, she was going to have to do it. But also because Neo was better with animals, which Eira was proving herself to be one. He reached out and brushed the hair away from Neo's face. "I'm sorry, love. I promise nothing bad will happen to you."


	13. More Confusion

More Confusion

Eira sat on a log. Her chin rested in her hands with her elbows rest on her knees, she watched Neo playing with a pack of wolves. The blue haired pirate showed absolutely no fear of the predator. In fact, Neo looked more like a child now than she ever had before. "Geez. The newspapers were right about her. She's really nothing more than a child."

"She's just like that," Bepo said.

Eira tossed a look at the bear that was sitting beside her on the ground. He had been following her every second since they docked at this island. She had no doubt that the captain had ordered him to follow her. He was putting too much effort into staying close to her for that to be untrue. While she wouldn't admit it out loud, she did have to admit to herself that she found it cute, Bepo following her around not the actual order to do so. "So how long are we staying on this island? It's boring. There's nothing here but trees and rocks."

"We'll take off as soon as Conner can figure out what that strange pinging in the sub's engine is," Bepo said.

"And how far are we from the next island?" Eira asked.

"Three more days," Bepo said.

"Three days, huh?" Eira hummed.

"There a problem with that?" Bepo asked.

"No," Eira said. "Just wondering why we just didn't go on to that island then since we're stopping there anyway."

"The captain doesn't like sailing the sub when the engine is acting odd," Bepo said. "It's safer to stop and figure out the problem rather than keep sailing and get ourselves into trouble."

"But you have your precious co-captain to keep you from sinking with her magical little crystals," Eira said wiggling her fingers.

"Perhaps," Bepo said. "But she's not all powerful. She has a limit to her magic just like we have a limit to our strength. She would be able to pull us safely to an island but if a pirate crew attacked she wouldn't be able to protect us, the sub, and fight them at the same time."

"I guess that makes sense," Eira said.

"Let's go for a run," Bepo said.

"You want to run?" Eira looked at him.

"I'm sensing that you're a bit antsy," Bepo said. "So let's go out and stretch our legs while we can."

"Sure. Why not?" Eira jumped up. She waited for Bepo to follow suit before bolting towards the thick forest.

…

Law watched Eira disappear into the forest with Bepo before standing up from the log he was leaning against. He walked over to Neo. A smile appeared on his face when he watched her being so happy with the wolves.

"Hey, Law," Neo said when she noticed him standing there. The wolves licked her face and her arms as much as they possible could, knocking her over in the process. "What's up? Come to play with us? And get lots and lots of kisses?"

"I'll pass on the kisses from the wolves and wait until later to kiss you once you're free of wolf drool," Law said.

Neo stuck her tongue out at him. "The wolves aren't going to like that."

"They'll live," Law said.

"So, was there something you wanted?" Neo asked.

"After some heavy debating," Law said. "I've decided that I want you to get closer to Eira."

"What?" Neo sat up and looked at him. "Why?"

Law squatted down. "I don't want to scare you, but Eira tried to kill you the other night."

"What? When?" Neo kneaded her eyebrows.

"When I told you a crewmember was being noisy," Law said. "She was in our room with her dagger out. I warped her out before she could do anything. I also took her dagger away and Conner made a collar with a bell for her to wear from now on."

"Oh," Neo said. "But she didn't really want to kill me. I would have had a nightmare if that was going to happen."

"I know." Law nodded. "I'm not sure she was really going to do it. She hesitated."

"So you want me to see if I can get her to open up about it?" Neo asked.

"That and the rest of her past," Law said.

"Are you sure? You were clear before that you didn't want me alone with her," Neo said.

"I still have no plans of letting you be alone with her," Law said. "We're just going to see if she'll open up to you."

"I'm not sure about this, Law," Neo said. "But I trust you. So I'll give it a try."

"Hey! Captain!" Shachi called out.

"What is it?" Law stood up and turned to the man running over to them.

"Conner found the problem," Shachi said. "It was just a screw that had broke and was rattling around. It's been replaced and no damage has been found."

"Good." Law nodded. "Once Bepo and Eira get back we'll set sail."

"Aye, Captain." Shachi nodded at them left to tell the rest of the crew.

"Aw," Neo whined. "So soon? We just got here."

"Sorry, love," Law said. "But we have to get going. And you have to shower and get that wolf slobber off of you. I'm not pleased that I can't kiss you right now."

"You could kiss me," Neo said.

"I want to taste _you_ not _wolf_ ," Law said.

The wolves snorted at him.

Neo giggled.

"What did they say?" Law asked.

"Um, that you're not worthy of being my alpha," Neo said.

"Oh really?" Law glared at the wolves. "Well, tell them if they keep that attitude up I'll warp all of their fur off their bodies then drop them on a winter island."

"Hey!" Neo protested. She wrapped her arms and legs around as many of the wolves as she could. "You will do no such thing!"

Law chuckled. "I will if I have to. So they had better behave. Start saying your goodbyes to them. I'm sure Bepo and Eira won't be gone for long."

"Fine," Neo said.

"Then go take a shower," Law said.

"Aye aye, Captain!" Neo saluted.

Law smirked. Holding up his hand he formed his Room.

"What are you-"

"Shambles."

"Ah!" Neo screamed before dropping into the sea. She summoned her wind crystals and broke the surface. She flew over to Law and poked him on the chest with her finger. "You jerk! How dare you do that?!"

"It's what you get for sassing me," Law said.

"Oh!" Neo stomped her bare foot on the sand. "If it wasn't for your Devil Fruit I'd through _you_ into the sea!"

Law leaned down to touch his nose to hers. "No, you won't."

"I would too," Neo said, her cheeks flushing. "I would throw you into it. And…I would…um…"

Law chuckled. "You're just too cute when you're flustered."

Neo huffed, drying herself with her winds. "You could at least kiss me now. I bathed."

"You took a dip in the sea," Law said. "That's not a shower. No shower, no kisses."

"Fine." Neo gave in and turned back to the wolves. She sat down in the middle of them again to enjoy the time she had left with them. "I'm sorry. But we have to leave soon. I know. I don't want to go either. I wish you could come. But Law won't allow pets on the sub. That is a good idea." She smirked at Law. "I'm sure he wouldn't notice."

"If you're thinking about putting those wolves on the sub, I would noticed," Law said.

"See?" Neo shook her head. "He's too smart for us. I know. I'm going to miss you all, too. I would love to stay, but I can't. My place is with my family. I love you all too."

"Are you finished?" Law asked.

"No." Neo giggled. "Bepo and Eira haven't returned yet. I still have more cuddle time with the pack."

Law shook his head. "I might have to end up finding you a zoo to live in if we ever put down roots somewhere."

"And that's a bad thing?" Neo asked.

"Yes, it is," Law said.

"Why?" Neo tilted her head curiously.

"Because you'd be covered in animal slobbers all the time," Law said. "And therefore you won't be getting many kisses from me."

Neo's eyes widened. "I can't believe you found something bad about living with animals!"

"Sorry, love," Law said. "But when I kiss you I want to kiss _you_." He leaned forward and touched his nose to hers. "Forgive me."

"I'll forgive you after I shower and you kiss me and make up for saying that," Neo said.

"Very well," Law said. "As soon as you're done with your shower I'll make up for what I said."

"Good." Neo crossed her arms in huff.

…

Eira ran side by side with Bepo until she broke away from him a minute later. Despite her being several yards in front of him she was impressed with how easily he was keeping up with her. But then that wasn't something new. Bepo was clearly one of the strongest and fastest on the crew. "You're not bad."

"You're not so bad yourself," Bepo said.

Eira looked up at a low branch. She ran towards it. She leaped into air she grabbed it and swung around the branch three times before throwing herself into the air. After a few spins in the air, she landed perfectly on the branch. "This feels so good."

"You're an amazing athlete," Bepo said. "I guess it has to do with your leopard form."

"I guess." Eira shrugged. "Or I'm just born athletic."

"Probably," Bepo said. "A lot of kids inherent skills from there parents. Who's do you think you got yours from?"

Eira opened her mouth to answer then quickly shut it. Kneading her eyebrows she thought about his question.

"I'm sorry. You probably don't want to talk about it," Bepo said.

"Well, I guess it's fine," Eira said. "It's just…I wouldn't know who I got anything from."

"What do you mean?" Bepo watched as Eira dropped back down to the ground.

"I don't have parents," Eira said. "I mean I don't know who they are."

"You're an orphan?" Bepo asked.

"I guess so," Eira said.

"And the people who took you in?" Bepo probed.

"We should head back," Eira said. "We've been gone for almost two hours."

"You're right," Bepo said. "I'm sure the issue with the sub has been fixed by now."

"Then let's go!" Eira said. She took off like a shot. "Race you!"

"Hey!" Bepo took after her. "You could have said that before you took off!"

"Deal with it!" Eira said with a laugh. The forest flashed before them as they ran all the way back to the sub. She broke free of the forest. Her nose hammered with the salty air of the sea and the scents of the crew. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Bepo running right beside her. "You're sure working hard to beat me."

Bepo smiled.

They ran over the sand before skidding to a stop near the sub, kicking up sand in the process.

"Hey!" Conner protested. "You didn't have to do that!"

"Baby," Eira said. "It's just a little sand."

"How about I cram that little sand down your throat?" Conner growled.

"I dare you to try it," Eira challenged.

"Enough," Law said. "The sub has been fixed. We're leaving now. Get onboard." He turned to call out for Neo who was still with the wolves. "Neo, time to go."

"Okay!" Neo called back.

Eira glanced over at the female captain. The wolves surrounded Neo, jumping up and down, begging the girl not to leave them. Neo, of course, pet and spoke to the wolves like they were babies before finally walking away from them.

"Eira, Bepo, did you have a good run?" Neo asked when she joined them.

"It was fine," Bepo said. "Eira's really fast."

"No, really?" Conner grumbled before climbing up the ladder to the deck. "I didn't noticed at all when we were chasing her around on Morning Glory."

Eira leaped up to the deck. Standing on the railing she looked down at Conner. "You're just weak."

"Hey!" Conner snapped.

"Truth hurts." Eira smirked.

"Eira, enough," Law said. "Stop trying to provoke the crew."

"Don't blame me for them being so easily provoked," Eira said, twitching her tail. She then leaped off the railing before anyone could replay and disappeared into the sub.

…

Law sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have no idea how much longer I'm going to be able to handle her childish nature."

"Do you get tired of my childish nature?" Neo asked.

"No, you're cute," Law said. "She's just annoying."

"Perhaps it's because she doesn't have any parents," Bepo said. When Law and Neo looked at him, he continued. "She told me she was an orphan. But when I asked about who raised her, she didn't say. She just took off back to the sub."

"Does not having parents really effect someone like this?" Neo asked.

"Sometimes," Law said. "Remember people act differently in different situations. Her attitude could be because she doesn't know much about herself, or her parents."

"I see," Neo said. "Maybe that's why she has an issue with me thinking of the crew as my family."

"Let's just get onboard," Law said.

"Right." Neo summoned her wind crystals and lifted them onto the sub.

"Let's set sail," Law said.

"Aye, Captain!" the crew said. They all scattered around the sub to prepare the vessel for take off.

"Well, I guess I'll go take my shower now," Neo said. "You better not get busy when I get out. You have to kiss me."

"I remember," Law said.

Neo nodded then headed down stairs. Stepping into their room, she grabbed herself a change of clothes, including Law's favorite hoodie, and went into the bathroom. Stripping of her clothes, she turned the water on and stepped into the shower. The hot water flowed over her body, relaxing her completely. She enjoyed the water for a few minutes before starting her shower. Five more minutes later, she washed all the soap off her body then shut the water off. Stepping out of the shower, she dried herself off and dressed. Picking up her brush, she pushed out the tangles then headed out to find Law. Sensing him near the rec. room she headed downstairs. He was talking with Conner when she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm clean of wolf slobber."

Law placed his hand over hers. "Just keep a close eye on the engine."

"Aye, Captain," Conner said before walking off with a smirk. "Don't get too carried away now."

"Hey!" Neo's cheeks flushed.

Law turned in her arms. "Never mind him."

She wrapped her arms around his neck when he bent down for her and leaped up to wrap her legs around his waist. She then planted her lips on his as he carried her into the rec. room. When she felt a tap on her leg, she unwrapped them and he sat down with her on his lap and without removing her lips from his.

Law hummed. "You're rather aggressive today."

"Your fault," Neo said between their kisses. "And speaking of which…" She summoned her wind crystals. Lifting them up off the couch, she turned them over, placing him on top of her. "Kiss me a lot."

Law chuckled. He placed his lips on hers before trailing away and down to her neck. He smirked against her skin when she arched into him in response to sucking on her soft spot.

Neo sighed when Law shifted his position and laid behind her on the couch. He put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. She said, "That was one of the best apologies you've ever given me. And the thirstiest."

Law chuckled as Neo summoned a water crystal and took a couple long drinks. He then drank himself when she put on in front of him. "Thanks."

"You shouldn't have kissed me so much," Neo said.

"Hey." Law squeezed her.

"I'm kidding," Neo said. She glanced over shoulder at him. "You know how much I love your kisses."

"I do." Law pecked her lips.

"Hm?"

"What is it?" Law asked.

"Eira went out on the deck," Neo said. "I guess she already grew tired of being inside."

"You want to go talk to her?" Law asked.

"I don't know," Neo said. "You're thinking I might be able to connect with her."

"It's possible," Law said. "And you have another similarity."

"We're both orphans," Neo said, her heart sinking at the thought.

"You maybe but you still have us and Shanks," Law said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. A smile curled on her lips while pondering the thought. She had a lot of family. And Shanks was like another dad to her even though she didn't get to see him much. "Will you walk me up to the deck?"  
"If that's what you want," Law said.

"It is," Neo said. "You can also stay out there with me."

"I don't think my presence will help you trying to connect with her," Law said. "I'll only want to slice her up and feed her to the sea kings."

"Law," Neo said.

"I'm only speaking the truth," Law said.

"Okay." Neo got up off the couch. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up then headed out of the room. "So who are you going to have go with me?"

"Someone who's more calm than anyone else," Law said just as Topaz walked down the stairs. "Topaz, go with Neo out on the deck."

"Sure," Topaz said. "What for?"  
"She's going to see if she can connect to Eira," Law said.

Topaz looked at Neo.

"Bepo said she admitted being an orphan," Neo said. "You might actually be able to help with that."

"I see," Topaz said. "Sure. I wasn't planning on doing anything right now anyway." She turned and headed back upstairs.

Once at the door, they all stepped out on the deck. The sun was just starting to set in the west. They spotted Eira at the front of the deck. She glanced back at them but then continued to watch the darkening scenery. Law looked at Neo. "Don't stay out too long. It's a bit chilly out here tonight."

"I won't," Neo said. She accepted his kiss before he went back into the sub. She glanced at Topaz before heading to the front of the deck. Crossing her arms over the trailing, she stared out at the sea before stealing a glance at Eira. She then looked at Topaz. Her sister was leaning with back against the railing beside her, her elbows resting on it.

"What are you so submissive to him?" Eira asked.

"Excuse me?" Neo asked.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Eira frowned. "You always seem to do what he says without question. It makes you look weak and pathetic."

"I don't think it does that," Neo said.

"Well, I do," Eira said. "It's like you're his dog instead of his lover."

"It might look like that but that's not the case at all," Neo said.

"Then what is the case?" Eira asked.

"It's because I know he only wants the best for me," Neo said. "I wasn't as confident as I am now when I came to live with the Heart Pirates. I needed structure and guidance. I still do at times."

Eira lifted an eyebrow at her.

"You've been having our memories," Neo said. "Surely you've gotten a glance at what's happened to me."

Eira shrugged and looked away. "I guess."

"Law became the strength that I needed and still need," Neo said. "I can disobey him if I wanted to. It's just that the majority of the time I don't want to."

"You shouldn't always be told what to do," Eira said.

"Why?" Topaz asked. "You heard what Neo said. The captain does that because he loves her."

Eira rolled her eyes. "You're out of your minds. Love like that doesn't exist. He only wants control over her."

"I suppose to a degree that's true," Neo said. "But that's only because I'm still learning about myself and the world."

"If you say so," Eira said.

"Do you have a problem back home?" Topaz asked. "Bepo told us that you're an orphan."

"I should have known he would tell you about that," Eira said.

"Was it meant to be a secret?" Topaz asked.

"I guess not," Eira said. "I never told him not to tell. So I have no one to blame but myself."

"It's a good thing that you told him and he told us," Neo said. "We know more about you now."

"Well, don't think that means we're friends or going to become friends," Eira said. "I'm still not interested in that."

"I know," Neo said. "You're only interested in killing me and Law."

"He told you," Eira said. Her fingers crackled with ice. "Not surprising at all. I suppose you're expecting me to try and kill you here and now?"

"It won't surprise me if you attempted it. But I know you won't do it. And Law doesn't keep secrets from me," Neo said.

"Lucky you," Eira mumbled. Her ice disappeared.

"Eira, has something happened to you?" Neo asked. "Did someone hurt you?"

Eira didn't answer.

"You can tell us, you know," Neo said. "Topaz and I are both orphans. We'll understand."

"Understand?!" Eira glared at the Elementals. "You will never understand what I've gone through!"

"We might," Neo said.

"Just shut up! I'll never tell you anything!" Eira ran back inside the sub.

"Well, that went well," Neo said.

"She is a rather tough costumer," Topaz said. "Guess we'll just have to wait a little while longer."

"I wonder what happened to her," Neo said placing her hand in her chin.

…

Eira ran down the stairs, skipping several at a time. Landing on the third floor, she startled a couple crewmates. They yelled at her but she didn't bother stopping or slowing down. She slammed her door behind her, cutting off the crews' shouts. She paced the room twice before her eyes landed on her sketchbook. Grabbing it, she sat down on the bed and hugged it to her chest. Tears stung her eyes. "Blast it all! What the heck is going on with me?! Why can't…why didn't I just kill her the other day?! It would have been over!"

She curled upon the bed. "Polaris…what do I do? This whole entire thing is just plan stupid. Why am I hesitating to kill her now? I had the perfect opportunity twice now and failed both times. I could have easily frozen her solid. Even with her Elemental body, she's not immune to dead for being frozen solid."

Eira took a deep breath and exhaled. "Is it possible that they're right? Will killing them not free me from these stupid Death Memories? But then what do I do? Get to know them? What good would that do?"

She growled and turned her face into her pillow. "Polaris…you should have come with me. You would know what to do." Rolling over on her back, she stared up at the top of her bed. "I need to vent. I need to draw blood."

…

Eira shifted on her feet. The crackling energy snapped all around her. The blood tainted the air, threatening to bring out her feral side. Last night's mess with Neo was finally fading from her mind. She was finally going to get to draw some blood. She opened her eyes. The world came back into focus. Gunshots and swords clashing rolled through her ears. The Polar Tang was curled up beside another ship. The two crews were currently trading blows with each other. She watched as the Heart Pirates struggled against the opposing crew. She had no idea who this crew was. Thanks to their being no wind for the moment, other than what Neo was creating, she couldn't see their flag. Not that it would do her much good. She never paid much attention to Jolly Rogers.

Glancing down at the deck, she found Jean Bart throwing the enemy back over to their ship while the captain and Neo were going up against the captain of the other crew who apparently had a Devil Fruit that could turn the man into a multi-headed monster, a hydra if she remembered correctly. The sheer weight of the man's monster form sunk the water vessel about halfway into the sea. Neo's wind and water crystals were the only things keeping them afloat.

Rolling out her shoulders, she leaped into the air and landed on the railing of the opposing ship. With a graceful wave of her hand, she sent a thin layer of ice over the deck. The pirates slipped and fell, including the Heart Pirates that were battling over here.

"Hey!" Tero cried out. "You trying to kill us?!"

"Maybe." Eira shrugged.

"Well, don't do it!" Conner snapped. "We're on the same side! We could just leave you in their hands if we wanted to!"

"Fine," Eira said. "I'll do what I can to not hurt you this time."

"Why don't you just go help the captain and Neo instead?!" Conner said.

"And why would I do that?" Eira asked.

"Because you're just annoying us!" Conner said.

"Besides they could use your help," Tero said. "You're ice can really help them more than us."

Eira glanced over at Neo and Law. Law was busy hacking off heads, which only more grew back and thrashed against the sub, while Neo was trying to lift the creature off their sub and keep herself from getting shot. She sighed when one of the captain's head chomped down on Neo. Law instantly warped her safely out of its mouth. "Fine. I suppose I can help them."

She turned and ran along the rail. Once close enough to the creature's tail, she ran across it and up to its multiple necks. Leaping into the air, she threw out her hands. Ice shot out at the creature, freezing its heads. She landed on one and said, "Come on. I though you two were stronger and smarter than this. Why keep cutting he heads off when more only grow back?"

"Shut up!" Law hissed. "Now isn't the time for that!"

"Fine," Eira said. "What are we going to do with him now? I don't think my ice will hold him for long."

"We need to get his claws out of the sub," Neo said.

"Why haven't you just dumped a bunch of seawater on him?" Eira asked. "Devil Fruit users are vulnerable to it, right?"

Neo whipped around. Fire flared up around her, melting the bullets that were shot at her. "I've been kind of busy trying not to die." She pulled a sword from the hands of a man that was about to stab one of her crew and threw it into the sea before her crewmate punched the man. "And trying to keep my family alive."

"Sounds stupid," Eira said. "You're putting your life in danger trying to protect them."

"Of course I am," Neo said. "I love them too much. I have to protect them."

Eira jumped when fire flared up behind her. She shot her eyes over her shoulder, smelling the gunpowder that was now in the air right beside her.

"Just like I'll protect you," Neo said.

"I'm not your family," Eira said.

"But you are on my crew," Neo said. "You're family now. Even if you just hate us."

"Whatever," Eira grumbled. "Let's just get this over with."

"Agree," Neo said. "Any ideas on how to stop him yet?"  
"I could just freeze his legs solid then shatter them," Eira said.

"A little too gruesome," Neo said.

"Maybe her way, but mine isn't," Law said. "I'll warp it off the sub."

"And why didn't you just do that from the beginning?" Eira asked. "You're supposed to be oh so smart and cunning."

"If you hadn't noticed we were taken by surprise," Law said.

"Fine. Then just warp it already," Eira said. "Once you do that I'll freeze his claws so he can't grab the sub again."

The creature shattered. With all heads, he said, "You little brat! You're going to pay for that!"

"Now that's just creepy!" Eira jumped into the air.

"Shambles!" Law cried.

The creature disappeared from the sub. "You're not going to get away with that!"

"Of course we are!" Eira said. Throwing out her hands, she encased his claws. She dropped onto his head then leaped over to the deck of the sub.

"Uh oh," the man said. Looking down at the sea below him before falling.

"Captain!" his chew shouted.

Neo wrapped the enemy captain in her winds and formed several streams of seawater around him. "Enough. This battle is over. Surrender or lose your captain."

"You won't kill him!"

"Yeah! We know you, woman! You won't hurt our captain!"

"I might not. But our captain has no problem killing your captain," Neo said. "If you surrender then you may go free."

Law smirked when the pirates look at him.

They threw down their weapons. The Heart Pirates started tying their enemy up then moving their spoils over to the sub.

"Hey! They have ten barrels of sake!"

"We can party over our victory!"

Neo shook her head at them while lifting their injured crewmates back onto the sub. She then landed beside them. She scanned her eyes over their injuries. A lot has simple lacerations while others had more serious wounds. The worst of all was a cut on one of the crews' sides. Checking to make sure no one could see it, she tucked her solar crystal as close to her crewmate and washed its healing glow over his wound. "Once the other's are gone I'll heal all of you. I have to do this one right now."

"Don't worry, Neo."

"Yeah, we're okay."

"Just a little worn out. They were a lot tougher than we thought they were going to be."

"That Devil Fruit power was amazing and a pain."

"What was that thing anyway?" Neo asked.

"Looked like a rare type of Zoan. That creature is called a hydra," Archer said.

"Hydra? I think I've read about one of them in one of my books," Neo said.

"I'm sure you have," Archer said.

Neo looked at him. He only had a few bruises and a busted lip. Her eyes then found Penguin. He was cheering with Shachi and a few others over their spoils. She sighed with relief that the fight was over and they didn't lose a single crewmate. "How are you doing, Basil?"

"I'm all right," Basil replied. "Just a bit shaken up. That battle was intense."

"But you did just fine," Archer said placing a hand on Basil's shoulder.

"Thanks." Basil smiled.

"Ah!" Conner then shouted. "The sub! Look at what that idiot did to the sub!"

"Oh boy," Archer said. "Conner's ticked off."

"At least the sub didn't sustain anymore damage," Neo said. "And the holes aren't low enough for water to come in as long as we don't dive."

"You'll have to help him fix it," Archer said. "If not we'll hear about it all the way to the next island."

"Of course but," Neo cupped his cheek, "my babies get healed first."

Archer smiled and placed his hand over hers.

"What are you so worried about?" Eira asked. "They're fine."

"I'm worried because I love them," Neo said looking up at her. "Are you hurt?"  
"No, I'm fine," Eira said.

"Because you were hiding for most of the battle," Archer said.

"I wasn't hiding," Eira said. "I was observing."

"Yeah, right," Archer said.

"No fighting," Neo said. "We've had enough of that today."

"Right." Archer nodded.

"Captain!" Bepo said about thirty minutes later. "We're all set! We can send them on their way!"

"Then let's get going," Law said. "Neo, give them a little push."

Neo nodded. Summoning her wind and water crystals near the enemy ship, she pushed them until they couldn't be seen anymore.

"You should have just killed them," Eira said. "They'll only come back for revenge."

"Doesn't matter," Law said. "They stand no chance against us. Now that we know their faces they won't be able to ambush us anymore."

"I wonder where they came from," Shachi said. "I don't recall ever hearing about a pirate crew with that sort of Devil Fruit."

"They could be new," Jean Bart said. He picked up two crates they got and headed into the sub.

Neo spread her solar crystal over the rest of the crew, healing their injuries. "There. That's much better."

"Now we can party!" Penguin said. "I need to unwind after that!"

"Yeah!" the crew cheered.

"Come join us, Topaz!" Shachi put his arm around Topaz's shoulders.

"Of course I will," Topaz said. "But no drinking for me."

"Aw, you're no fun," Shachi said.

Topaz laughed. "Let's hear you say that again when I lose control over my crystals and fry the sub."

"Don't you dare!" Conner snapped. "The sub has enough damage as it is! I won't stand for anymore!"

"Can you fix it?" Law asked.

"Yes, but I'll need Neo's help," Conner said.

"Of course," Neo said. "I'm ready. The crew's been healed."

"Then I'll get my tools and be right back." Conner disappeared inside.

Law stepped over to Neo. Lifting her chin with his finger, he peered into her eyes and searched her feelings.

"I'm fine, love," Neo said.

Law nodded.

"Give me a break," Eira said. "Do you two always have to be so lovey dovey like that?"

Law glared at the snow leopard then stopped. With a smirk he turned back to Neo and kissed her deeply. The remaining crewmembers outside cheered at the kiss.

Eira rolled her eyes and entered into the sub. Taking heavy steps on the stairs, she scooted to the side when Conner came rushing back up them. She continued on down the stairs until she found herself at one of the second floor storage rooms. Peaking inside she found Jean Bart and a couple others were adjusting the crates they moved them along the walls.

"What are you doing down here?" Jean Bart asked.

"Nothing." Eira leaned against the doorframe.

"Well, we're heading back up to the deck," Jean Bart said. "You should come with us and enjoy."

"Don't count on her," Ikkaku said. "She doesn't know how to have any fun."

"I know how to have plenty of fun," Eira said. "My fun is just different."

Ikkaku laughed. "You sounded just like the captain there!"

Eira growled.

"Come on, Eira," Ikkaku said. "Loosen up a little and enjoy being a pirate."

The Heart Pirates started making their way back up to the deck.

"You'll have fun," Ikkaku said. "Just give it and us a chance."

Eira watched the woman walked away. She pondered her words for a few minutes before heading back up to the deck. Standing near the door, she watched as the crew, some of them already drunk somehow, partying it up over their victory.

"Here! Loosen up!" A crewmate shoved a mug of sake in her hand.

Eira stared down at the drink then looked around at the crew. They all but for Neo, Conner, Basil, and Law were drinking. Her eyes fell back down to the drink in her hand. Maybe they were right. Maybe she did need to just relax. And maybe this drinking was the way to do it. She brought the mug up to her lips and took a drink.

…

"Stupid pirates," Conner grumbled while pounding away at the red-hot wall of the sub. "I'll kill them. So help me I'll find them again and kill them for what they did to the sub."

"The damage isn't that bad." Neo observed a hole. It was smaller than her head. "Is it?"

"Of course it is!" Conner growled. He hit the sub harder bending a piece back into place. "Just imagine if he put those stupid claws of his anywhere lower than this! We could be sunk!"

"You know I wouldn't let that happen," Neo said.

"I know." Conner sighed and stop pounding so hard. "I'm just aggravated."

"Well, you finish up here then have yourself a drink," Neo said. "That'll calm your nerves."

Conner nodded.

Neo looked up at Law and smiled. "Aren't you going to have a drink?"

"Maybe later," Law said. "I'm enjoying watching you."

"There!" Conner said an hour later. "We're done!"

Neo lifted them back up to the deck. She shook her head to find a few of her family were already passed out on the deck. "Must they drink until they pass out?"

"Their just gluttons," Law said wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Sit with me."

Neo nodded. She followed him and sat down on the deck. Leaning against him they settled into watching their crew have fun.

"Here, Captain." Bepo held out a mug.

Law took it but placed it down on the deck instead of taking a drink. He pressed a kiss into her hair when she sighed and said, "It's over, Neo."

Neo nodded. "I hate fighting."

"I know, love," Law said. They fell into silence just watching the crew as they partied and started falling asleep one by one. Eventually, all the heavy drinkers were out cold.

"Pathetic," Conner said before swigging back the last of his own drink. "They should know better than to get drunk like this. What if we get attacked again?"

"We better not be attacked again," Neo said. She glanced up at the sky. "A rainstorm is coming."

"Let's move the crew inside," Law said. The two stood up. He warped some into the sub while Neo picked up the rest and carried them inside. She paused when

Eira rolled over and flicked her tail, sending a small shower of ice through the air.

"We should probably take her to her room before she accidently freezes the entire crew and sub," Neo said.

"She had better not!" Conner said. "I already fixed the sub once today! And that's enough!"

"Calm down," Topaz said summoning her fire crystals. "I've got the sub covered."

"Just get her to her room," Conner said. "She can freeze that instead. But she better not do any damage."

"Getting a bit demanding there, are you?" Topaz asked.

"I have every right to be," Conner said. "She's been nothing but pain since she came here."

"I've got her." Neo placed the crew down on the floor before going down the stairs with Eira and Law. When they reached Eira's quarters she lowered her onto the bed. The young girl rolled over, swiping her hand over her pillow, knocking her sketchbook onto the floor. Bending over Neo picked it up. She had the intention of putting it back on the bed, but paused when she saw what was on the page it opened to a drawing of a very familiar looking crystal that grew up from the ground. She knew she shouldn't but she flipped through the book. Each page filled with drawings of Luminous. And that last one of was of Kailen. "Law! Look at this!"

"What is it?" Law looked over Neo's shoulder. His heart slammed against his chest at the draws of Luminous on the pages. "That's not possible."

"How could she know about Luminous?" Neo asked. "I mean, she clearly knew we were Elementals, but she never said anything about our home."

"She could be just hiding it like everything else," Law said though he doubted his words before he even spoke them.

Neo looked at Eira. "What do we do? Since she's been trying to kill us do you think she's trying to make her way to Luminous?"

"I doubt it," Law said. "We need answers."

"But she won't talk to us," Neo said.

"We'll force her," Law said.

"How?" Neo tilted her head.

Law held out his hand. His Room spread over the area before a chain clanked on the floor.

"Sea prism stone?" Neo shoved them with her toes. "Why?"

"We'll use them on her," Law said. "Remember Conner said they weakened her."

Neo kneaded her eyebrows. "I remember. I'm not sure but I know we can't just leave this alone. I need to know what she knows about Luminous."

Law nodded. Still with his Room activated, he removed all of the alcohol from Eira's system. "Use your solar crystal on her."

Neo nodded and fill the order.

"What happened?" Eira asked when she came to.

Neo stepped in front of the chains to keep them hidden from Eira's sight.

"Explain this." Law held out the sketchbook to her.

"Hey! You're not supposed to touch that!" Eira lunged for the book but Law easily sidestepped her. "Give that back!"

"Not until you answer us on how you know about this place," Law said.

"I don't have to answer anything!" Eira snapped. "You said the crew wouldn't touch my stuff! Why did you open that book?!"

"We didn't open it," Law said.

"Liar! I see it in your hand! And it's open!" Eira said.

"We didn't open it, Eira," Neo said. "You knocked it off the bed and it fell open."

"You didn't have to look at it!" Eira said.

"Answer the question, Eira," Law said. "That's an order from your captain."

"I don't take orders from you or anyone." Eira glared at him. "Captain or not."

Law glared back. He moved to make an attack on her but was stopped by Neo crossing her arm over his chest.

"I'm sorry, Eira," Neo said. "But you leave us no choice."

"What are you talking about?" Eira asked.

Neo lifted the chains off the floor and shot them towards Eira.

Eira jumped in an attempt to avoid the chains but Neo was quicker. The chain wrapped around Eira's ankle, weakening her. She fell to the floor with a dull thud. She hissed and bared her fangs. "Are you…are you crazy?! Why…are you…doing this?!"

"No more avoiding the subject, Eira," Law said holding out the sketchbook. "You will tell us how you know about this place and about Kailen."

"I don't…know what…you're talking about," Eira said. She pulled herself over to the wall and managed to push herself into a sitting position.

"Eira, just tell us the truth," Neo said. "We're not going to be angry with you. We're just confused. No one outside of my people and a few select humans know about Luminous."

Eira remained silent.

"If you don't talk then you can spend the rest of your life in those chains," Law said. "And locked up in the brig where you'll never see the outside world again."

Eira growled at Law. Her ice spread out over the ground but refused to obey her just like the last time.

"We know this sea prism stone affects you," Law said. "You won't escape from us. Just tell us already."

Eira continued to growl then stopped. "Fine. I don't know anything about this Luminous place."

"Don't lie to us!" Law snapped. He pointed to the paper. "You drew Neo's castle! And not only that, you drew several other buildings, the crystals that grown there, and her brother!"

"Another brother, huh?" Eira chuckled.

"He's my adopted brother," Neo said. "My parents adopted him before I was born."

"I see," Eira said with a roll of her eyes. "How sweet of them."

"You have two seconds to spill why you have drawn all of these or I'm warping you down to the brig right now," Law said.

Eira frowned. She debated his threat and question. After several seconds, she sighed and said, "Honest, I know nothing of this island or that guy. I've only seen them in my Death Memories."

"What are Death Memories?" Neo asked.

"They're visions or memories of things I've never done, people I've never met, and places I've never been," Eira said. "I've had Death Memories that I believe belong to you two." She looked at Law. "You lost someone when you were young. You were on an island with snow. You also were in a place with lots of fire, shooting, and dead bodies. Two of those bodies belonged to your parents."

Law twitched. "There's no possible way you could know that."

"And you." Eira looked at Neo. "People never liked you. You were always alone until this guy came along." She jerked her chin at Law. "You were basically ambushed by an angry mob when you were just a kid."

"But how?" Neo asked.

"I don't know how," Eira said. "All I know is I keep having these memories that belong to you two. I've had them for a long time now. At first they weren't all that bad. They'd just come and go with no problems. Then they started getting worse. They started physically hurting me. But back then I couldn't really remember what the memories were after they disappeared. So a friend of mine, Polaris, taught me how to draw. With practice I managed to control my thoughts and get what I saw down on paper. That's what those drawings are."

"But why come after us?" Neo asked.

"To kill you both," Eira said. "I believe that killing you would free me of this pain. These memories exist because you exist."

"That's ridiculous," Law said. "You can't get rid of these memories by killing the people they truly belong to."

"I could at least try." Eira smirked. "I might have failed the first couple of times I had opening to kill her, but it will happen."

"Liar," Law said. "You had the perfect chance to kill Neo when she was asleep. You didn't. You hesitated. Why?"

Eira glared at him. He was far too perceptive.

"Eira?" Neo said.

"Fine," Eira said. "I don't know why I stopped. I don't know why I hesitated."

"I think you do," Law said. "I think you know that killing us won't free you of these memories you're having."

Eira twitched. "You don't know that."

"I think I do," Law said. "So where did you come from?"

"That wasn't part of this little deal," Eira said. "I gave you want you wanted. Now give me what I want."

"Law?" Neo looked at him.

Law contemplated their situation for several minutes before finally saying, "Fine. That will do for now. But you better watch yourself. I'm not going to put up with your crap forever." He dug into his pocket. "Before we released you there's something else we have to address. You are no longer going to be able to attack the crew like you've been doing." Holding out the collar, he warped it onto Eira's neck. "That will keep you from ambushing them."

"What the heck is this?!" Eira growled.

"A specially designed collar with a bell that will jingle," Law said. He tossed the book to the floor at her feet. "Release her."

Neo removed the chains and Law warped them back down to the storage room before leaving.

Eira warped, expecting the collar to come off of her. "What the heck?! Why didn't it come off?!"

"I guess we got lucky on that part," Law said.

Eira grabbed the collar and tried to pull it off. "You're going to pay for this!"

Law turned and left the room.

Neo followed him but paused at the door and looked back at Eira. "Please, just behave."

"Whatever." Eira grabbed her sketchbook and held it to her chest. "Just get out of my room."

Neo sighed and left the room wondering when everything was going to explode from all the tension.


	14. Trouble

Trouble

Eira licked the fur on her wrist before swiping that area over her head. A soft purr rolled out of her throat as she thought about what happened between her, Law, and Neo last week. None of it made any sense. She had their memories. She was drawing those strange crystals and that boy, Kailen, in her sketchbook. No one appeared to know why. One thing she did know, somehow, was killing her two targets wouldn't end the pain. But she had no idea what would. Since that incident she had been avoiding Neo and Law. The only time she came close to them was when they ate. Any other time she would stay inside of her quarters or out on the deck. Then if Neo or Law came outside she'd head inside and hide in her quarters again. Occasionally, she would be able to sneak up on them and listen in on their conversations. They didn't do her any good. They were just as confused as she was. Then a thought crossed her mind. Maybe all of the answers to this were back on her home island. She shook it from her mind. There was nothing on this planet that would get her to go back there.

"I just don't understand it," Ikkaku said.

Eira's ears twitched when the pirates started talking.

"I think we're all wasting our time in trying to figure it out," Conner replied.

"But there has to be a reason why Eira is so much like the captain," Ikkaku said.

"I agree with Conner," Uni said. "We're wasting our time in trying to figure this out. The only one who could possibly have answers to this won't speak about it at all."

"You'd think Eira would tell the captain and Neo what she knows," Clione said. "Surely she wants answers herself."

"She's too stubborn for that," Conner said. "I say leave her alone. Better yet, kick her off the ship."

"You know Neo won't do that," Ikkaku said. "And now that the images in the sketchbook have been revealed the captain won't release her until he knows how exactly she knew about Luminous."

"So we're stuck with that brat," Conner grumbled.

"Do you think she can hear us?" Uni asked.

"Why would she?" Clione asked.

"Well, she's a snow leopard, a feline, and they have good hearing," Uni said.

"It's possible," Ikkaku said.

Eira continued to lick her fur, acting like she wasn't listening to them at all, when they turned their eyes to her to see what she was doing.

"She doesn't appear to be listening to us," Uni said. "She seems more involved in cleaning herself. Has she taken an actual shower since she's be here?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Ikkaku said. "I've seen her licking herself like that before."

"Just because it looks like she's not listening doesn't mean a thing," Clione said. "She could be pretending."

"Who cares is she's listening or not?" Conner asked. "It's not like what we're talking about is a secret. So can we please just change the subject already? She and her mysteries is all the crew seems to be talking about lately."

Fine," Uni said. "When are we going to land on the next island?"

"Should be any day now," Uni said.

"Why? Your little mini you craving some sexual attention?" Ikkaku asked.

Eira rolled her eyes and tuned out their conversation. She found they talked about sex way too much. She's heard enough of that as it was. Though she was a bit curious herself to when they were going to land. She would like to stretch her legs on a good long run. And maybe Bepo would join her again in doing that. She hoped whatever island they landed on next had a lot of nature for a good run and trees she could climb. She'd take open space or a thick forest. Finished with grooming herself, Eira stood up and crossed her arms over the railing. She started out, watching for an island to come into view. An hour and a half later the smells of several people, food, and freshly cut wood entered her nose. Shortly after the island itself appeared in her sight. Large, in the process of being constructed, ships appeared on their side of the island. "Shipwrights, huh?"

"Whoa! Look at that huge ship!" Uni said. "I wonder who commissioned that!"

"Oh man! I hope that doesn't mean there are Celestial Dragons on this island!" Ikkaku said.

"I doubt it," Conner said. "Building ships can take weeks. They wouldn't wait around on an island of commoners for it."

"I guess that's true," Ikkaku said. "Still, they could come themselves to check on the process."

"Even if they are there we can easily avoid them," Bepo said as he walked out on the deck. "There shouldn't be any slave houses or auction houses on this island. We'll be fine." He looked at Eira. "You okay?"

"Of course." Eira turned around and leaned back against the railing. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been kind of quiet these past few days," Bepo said walking closer to her.

"Yeah, well, not much to do," Eira said. She swiped at the belled collar. It jingled before settling in place. "Besides my source of entertainment has been cut off. And it's not like there's anything else to do on this ship."

"I'm sorry about that," Bepo said. "But you were causing a lot of trouble with the crew."

"I didn't see it as trouble," Eira said. "It's normal for me to hunt and practice hunting."

"Maybe, but we're not your prey," Bepo said.

"Actually," Eira started. She paused when Neo and Law stepped out onto the deck.

"They're not your prey anymore though," Bepo said. "You don't want to hurt them."

Eira chewed on his words. She hated admitting it, even to herself, but her desire to kill these two pirates was almost gone. If only she knew what that meant and why it happened so quickly. "Despite that, how have you been this week?"

"I'm okay," Bepo said. "Glad that we haven't had to dive under the water."

"You really hate going under, don't you?" Eira asked.

"Yeah." Bepo nodded. "But Neo's really good in keeping me cool."

"So sweet of her." Eira rolled her eyes. "Sometimes its like she's your mother rather than a friend, crewmate, or even a sister."

"I think the entire crew will agree with you on that." Bepo smiled and nodded. "She is motherly to us at lot of the times."

"I'm surprised she doesn't cut up your food for you," Eira said. "Or tuck you in at night while giving you a glass of water."

"She's not that bad," Bepo said.

"I bet she would be if you guys were her actual kids," Eira said. "She's such a mother hen even without them."

"Neo as a mother?" Bepo blinked. "I would love to see that. But the captain and Neo will never have kids."

"Why?" Eira asked.

"They both agreed that it's far too dangerous for them to have a child and live the life of pirates," Bepo said. "The Navy hunts down and kills those born to pirates."

"That's just stupid," Eira said. "It's not the kid's fault who their parents are. They didn't ask to be born. Plus what does being born to pirates have to do with anything?"

Bepo laughed.

"What's so funny?" Eira asked.

"Neo pretty much as the same exact thing," Bepo said. "I know you hate it, but you really are just like her and the captain."

"Oh, just hush about that," Eira said. "It's stupid."

"Anyway, I'm not really sure of that myself," Bepo said. "Just because someone is born to pirates doesn't mean they'll be pirates too. And they have no control over what their parents have done."

"The Navy is just apparently very stupid," Eira said. She eyed the shoreline as the sub sailed smoothly into the docks.

"I guess your right," Bepo said.

"All right!" Uni shouted out. "We've landed! Welcome to Brazen Island, everyone!"

"We're going to be staying here a few days," Law said. "So you all are free to do as you please."

"But do check in once in a while," Neo said. "I want to know that you're all alive and well."

"We will!" they all said.

"Whatever you say, _Mother_ ," Eira said. "Do I have to have permission to go off on my own?"

Law frowned at the feline. "You're sticking with Bepo. And if I hear of you running off from him I'll lock you up in the brig."

"Whatever, _Daddy_." Eira jumped up on the railing and swished her tail. "Can we just go?" She jumped down to the dock before anyone could answer her.

"That girl is working on my last nerve," Law said.

"Poor baby," Neo said squeezing his hand.

"Don't you start on me, too." Law poked Neo in the ribs, making her squeal.

"Hey! You can't do that! We're not lovers here!" Neo said.

"We're not off the sub yet," Law said. "And you're holding my hand."

"Oh." Neo puffed out her cheeks at him and dropped his hand.

Law just chuckled in response.

"Let's just go." Neo summoned her wind crystals and lifted them off the sub.

…

Eira started out at the bustling city before her. There were so many faces, sounds, and scents it was starting to give her a headache. It almost made her want to just stay on the sub instead. Perhaps she should. She didn't really feel like being around a lot of people. As she stood there her fur stood on its ends. Someone was watching her. She scanned her eyes over everything she could. The docks were full of people loading and unloading their ships. Seagulls flew above them or perched on the ships, some looking for an easy meal to swipe from some unsuspecting person or fish that may venture too close to the surface. None of them looked at all threatening.

She reached for her dagger, forgetting that it had been taken away from her. She growled, letting her hand drop back to her side. Her eyes still scanned over the island in an attempt to locate _them_. But no one appeared to be their size. Her hairs laid back down. Maybe she was just being overly cautious. It's been a few weeks since she's allowed her snow leopard form to be seen in the newspapers. And they hadn't shown up yet. So maybe they wouldn't. She forced herself to relax and turned her attention back to the crew.

Most of the crew had already dispersed on their own since they were spending a few days here. She had no clue what she wanted to do. All she knew was she was going to be with Bepo. So she'd end up doing whatever he wanted most likely. Her eyes drifted to Neo. The blue haired pirate was talking to Law, Bepo, and Penguin. For a second she about tuned her ears into their conversation but she stopped herself. She really didn't want to know what they were talking about. Soon Law headed off somewhere by himself and the remaining three walked over to her.

"Hey, Eira," Neo said.

"What?" Eira asked.

"If you wanted, you could come with us," Neo said. "We're going to do a little window shopping then check out the bookstore."

Eira stared at the pirate. She waited for her aggression to appear but it never showed up. Unknowing as to what that meant, she agreed. "Since I have to follow Bepo around I don't have much choice."

"I'm sorry," Neo said. "But it's for your own good."

"Whatever," Eira huffed.

"You're still angry at us for looking at your sketchbook," Neo said.

"No, you think?" Eira rolled her eyes.

"Eira, I'm sorry, but you have to understand the position we're in," Neo said. "No one is supposed to know about that island."

"Yeah, yeah," Eira said. "I get it. Secret island and all."

"I don't think you really get it," Neo said.

"And I don't really care," Eira said.

"Fine," Neo said.

"What a brat," Penguin said.

"It's fine," Neo said. "I did, after all, say that no one was going to look at her sketchbook."

"That wasn't your fault," Penguin said. "It fell open. Anyone in your position would continue to look through it."

"I know." Neo nodded.

"At least tell me we're going to have some fun on this island," Eira said. "I need to work out some tension."

"We can go for a run later if you want," Bepo said.

"Sure." Eira shrugged. "Let's just get this shopping thing over with."

"Don't like it?" Penguin asked.

"Not really," Eira replied. She looked at Neo. "I never would have pegged you for someone who likes shopping."

"It's not my favorite thing in the world," Neo admitted, "but I do love shopping for books. I'm hoping to pick up a couple today."

"Don't you have enough books? They're wall to wall in the rec. room and you have crates of them in the storage rooms," Eira said. "I'm surprised you haven't actually figured out a way to store them on the ceiling in the rec. room."

"Neo could never have enough books," Bepo said. "If the sub was big enough she would have brought the entire library in her castle."

"Castle?" Eira asked.

"Bepo!" Penguin scolded. "You weren't suppose to mention that to anyone!"

"I'm sorry." Bepo bowed his head.

"It's all right, Penguin," Neo said. "Remember she drew that in her sketchbook as well."

"Right." Penguin, frowning, crossed his arms over his chest. "Still, we're out in the open. He should be more careful. Someone else could have heard him."

"Can we just get this over with?" Eira asked while fluffing out her cloak and pulling her hood over her head. "I'm getting bored just standing here."

"Let's go then." Neo slipped her arm around Penguin's. And once Bepo was on her other side, they headed off into the bustling town.

Eira followed on Bepo's other side. Her boredom only increased as they made their way through the people and their shouts for food or bartering for an item. Only then did she notice they all were wearing shorts or skirts and short sleeve shirts. The sun was hot. It beat down on her making her wonder if she should have left the cloak back on the sub and went out in her normal clothes. She ran her hand over her skintight shorts and released a thin layer of ice. Shaking the thought off, she decided it was best just to cool herself off. She didn't really want to bring attention to herself in her snow leopard form nor did she want to use her human form.

"There it is!" Neo suddenly said.

Eira jumped at her unexpected voice then noticed what Neo had seen. A small, white building had a sign hanging over the door reading 'Bookstore'. "Geez. Must you get so excited about a bookstore?"

"Yes, I must." Neo tugged on Penguin's arm, pulling him closer to the building.

"Okay, okay," Penguin said with a laugh. "Calm down, Neo. It's not going to go anywhere."

"I don't care," Neo said. "I just want to get in there."

"We're going, we're going," Penguin said.

"Sheesh," Eira said as she watched Neo pull Penguin into the bookstore. "She's like a child in more ways than one."

"But she's cute," Bepo said.

"If you say so," Eira said.

"Let's catch up to them," Bepo said stepping forward.

"Okay." Eira sighed. She stepped inside the store and took a sniff of the books and scents. One of the scents she found was to be one of the crew, Basil, but she didn't see them anywhere. So he must have already left. Ignoring the scent, she walked down an isle and located Neo and Penguin down another one. Not wanting to bother the enjoyment Neo was having, she kept on walking. Looking over her shoulder she saw Bepo had stopped and picked up a book. She continued on walking. Her eyes trailed over the books and magazines. Before she knew it, two hours had passed by. She sniffed the air and located Neo's scent; she was with Bepo and Penguin. She followed it back to them to see what was going on.

"You about done yet?" Penguin asked.

"Yeah." Neo nodded. "I got two I really wanted."

"It took you two hours just to pick out two books?" Eira asked.

"I like to take my time and really absorb what the books are about so I know which ones I want to read," Neo said.

"Whatever," Eira replied.

"Let me pay for these then we'll go outside for a while," Neo said. She walked away with Penguin by her side.

"Looks like we're going to get to run soon," Bepo said.

Eira didn't respond. She just waited until Neo had paid for her purchase and the two returned to her and Bepo. They exited the building out word. Outside Neo summoned a wind crystal and lifted them into the air. Flying over the town, she didn't set them down until they landed in a small open field surrounded by the forest.

"This should be a good place," Neo said.

"It's great, Neo," Bepo said. "Thanks a lot." He looked at Eira. "Shall we go for a run now?"

"Sure." Eira shrugged. She took off towards the woods, Bepo hot on her tail.

"You ever going to get relaxed with her around?" Neo asked.

"Probably not," Penguin said. "At least not until she proves that she's not trying to kill you or the captain anymore. And just because she hasn't attempted it again doesn't mean anything."

"I understand," Neo said.

"Well, since were out here, I think I'll take a nap," Penguin said as he dropped down to the ground.

"You're not going to go have a drink with the boys?" Neo asked sitting down beside him.

"Naw," Penguin said. "I'd rather stay here with you."

"Even though I'm going to read?" Neo smiled.

"Even though you're going to read." Penguin put his hands behind his head and exhaled. "Wake me if something interesting happens."

"Sure thing." Neo giggled. Summoning an earth crystal, she created a giant flower to lean against then pulled out one of her books and opened it. Settling into her flower, she ran her eyes over the first page of her book. She devoured each and every word that passed in front of her. Four chapters in she kneaded her eyebrows in confusion when the wind blew passed her without actually blowing. She glanced up. "What the heck was that?"

A huge gust of wind rushed pasted her. It startled Penguin awake when his hat tipped up over his head. "What the heck is going on?!"

"Um, Penguin." Neo tapped him on the arm.

"What is it?" He sat up and found her looking at something else with a concerned expression. Following her gaze he found what held her attention so much. Ten yards from them were six head to toe cloaked figures about four feet tall each. One of them was holding a small chest with something inside glowing an icy blue. He jumped up. "Who are you people?"  
"Is this really her?" one of the figures asked.

"It must be," the one holding the chest replied. "It led us right to her."

"Then let's take her and go," the first one said.

"Hold on there." Penguin stepped in front of Neo. "I have no idea who you people are but you have the wrong person."

"Step aside," the first one said. "We have no business with you."

"If you try and take my sister away from me you're going to have a lot of business with me," Penguin said taking a defensive stance. "Just who the heck are you? What do you want with her?"

"Listen, human!" the first one snapped. "This is none of your concern! That girl is a danger to everyone! Get out of our way!"

"Human?" Penguin asked. "Neo, do you sense anything from these guys?"

"Yes, magic," Neo said.

"They're magical?" Penguin took a quick glance at her.

"No, they're not magical," Neo said eyeing the cloaks. "But they're carrying things that are. They're fairly small but very powerful."

"What do you mean?" Penguin asked.

"Possible talismans," Neo said. "I think. Several of my fantasy books mention them."

"Talismans?" Penguin asked.

"I know it sounds weird, but I do sense magic _on_ them but not _in_ them," Neo said again. "What else could it be?"

"You have five seconds to come with us," the one holding the chest said. "Or we'll have to take you by force."

"That's not going to happen," Penguin said.

"Will you all just calm down?" Neo asked. "I think there's been a mistake."

"Time's up. Get her." Five charged forward on the chest wielder's command. A strong gust of wind appeared out of now where as they ran around the two pirates. Loose pieces of grass, dirt, and fallen leaved picked up around them.

"Penguin!" Neo reached out for him and summoned her wind crystals.

"What the heck is going on here?!" Penguin grabbed her arm.

"Hold on!" Neo used her crystals and took control of the wind they were creating. She shoved them backwards, clearly shocking them with her abilities.

"How could she did that?!"

"It's not possible!"

"She must have learned new tricks somehow!"

"It matter's not," the chest wielder said closing the chest. "We still must take her back. You know what will happen if we don't. Do what you must to stop her."

"Yes, sir!" they said.

"Will someone just tell us what the heck is going on here?!" Penguin demanded.

"Looks like they're not going to answer us," Neo said as all of them reached into the cloaks for something. _'Law, we have a problem over here.'_

 _'What is it?'_

 _'Someone's trying to kidnap me.'_ Neo instantly sensed Law warping closer to her.

 _'What?!'_

 _'Yeah. I'm not sure who or who they are. They're not being very forthcoming with their motives. I think they've mistaking me for someone else.'_

 _'I'm on my way!'_

"Law's coming," Neo said.

"Good," Penguin said. He eyed the objects the cloaked figures pulled out. They were about six inches long, white, and curled at the end. "I hope we can hold them off until he gets here. I have a bad feeling about this."

…

Eira leaped from branch to branch, enjoying the freedom she had in the moment until a very familiar feeling sank into her chest. Her fur perked up. She paused on a branch and looked back in the direction she and Bepo had left Neo and Penguin. Ice-cold fear gripped her body and soul. It couldn't be them. They couldn't have found her so soon. She looked down to find Bepo had stopped running as well. He too was looking back in the direction they had come. "Um, Bepo? Come on. Let's keep going."

"We have to go back," Bepo said sniffing the air.

"What for? We just started," Eira said despite knowing the bear sensed the trouble. "What could have happened in just a few minutes?"

"I don't know. I just know that something's not right. I can smell six others with Neo and Penguin," Bepo said. "I'm going back to check on them."

"Wait!" Eira called but the bear was already heading back. She shifted on her feet and wiped her sweaty palms on her shorts. Despite knowing she should run as fast as she could in the other direction, she found herself heading back towards Neo and Penguin. She was able to keep Bepo in her sight despite his head start. But when she got to the edge of the forest, she paused on a branch as he raced forward. Her body turned ice cold. Her heart hammered against her chest at the sight of the cloaked figures surrounding Neo and Penguin. It _was_ them. They _had_ found her.

Confusion clouded her brain when she understood what was really going on in the small field. For some reason, they were targeting Neo and Penguin. It didn't make sense to her at all. They should be after _her_ not Neo. Neo, other than Eira having her memories, had nothing to do with this. The crew had nothing to do with it. _They_ shouldn't be attacking the Heart Pirates at all. She tucked herself closer to the trunk of the tree and watched as they put their hands into their cloaks and pulled all too familiar talismans out.

…

"Neo! Penguin!" Bepo shouted out.

Before they could reply, one of the cloaked figures flicked its talisman at the Bepo. A red flash of light shot out and hit Bepo. The bear froze in midstride.

"Bepo!" Neo cried. Her winds raged, whipping any loose piece of item. She turned back to the chest-wielding figure. "You! You seem to be in charge! I demand you tell me what-Uh!" Her voice and crystals were cut off when the same red flash slammed into her. She dropped to her knees. A strange tingle ran through her entire body. Her limps stopped responding to her. "L-Law…"

 _'Neo?! Neo, what's happening?! What hit you?!'_

 _'I don't…know. But I can't…move.'_

 _'I'm almost there!'_

"Neo? Neo what happened?" Penguin knelt down beside her.

Neo flinched inwardly at the panic in his voice. She wanted to speak to him, to tell him to run, but her body wouldn't allow her. Another flash of red appeared at the corner of her eye. When Penguin didn't say anymore she knew he had been hit with whatever this was. She glared at the cloaked figures. Relief and more fear washed over her when Law warped in front of her. _'Law! No! Get out of here! They can paralyze us somehow!'_

Before Law could make a move, the figures flicked their wands at him. His sword fell from his hand before his body dropped to the ground. Several colorful curses ran through his mind, that he unintentionally shared with Neo.

 _'Law! What do we do?!'_

 _'I don't know. Just try and remain calm.'_

 _'Eira! Eira's still free! She was running around with Bepo! She should be close by!'_

 _'Maybe. But don't count on her.'_

The chest-wielding figure walked over to Neo. Looking down at her, he said, "You might be able to disguise yourself physically, but you can never disguise your magic from your birthright." He reached into his cloak and pulled out an identical wand to the others. The tip started glowing a soft green instead of read. "Now sleep. We'll be back soon enough. Lullaby Slumber."

Neo glared at him. Thoughts of Law ripping this person's throat out filled her mind before it was replaced with sleepiness when the green glow washed over her. _'Law…they're forcing me to go to sleep. I'm scared.'_

 _'Neo, just hold on. I'll think of something. I won't let them get away with this.'_ Law's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel Neo's mind slipping away from him as she drift off to sleep. _'I promise, Neo. They will pay for this.'_

Neo's mind went blank.

"We have her. Now let's go," the chest wielder said.

Law gritted his teeth. Despite them both behind him, he could clearly see them touching his love. He could see them picking her up and taking her away from him. Then she was gone with a rush of wind. Tears pressed against the back of his eyes. Every single curse he could think of, and some he invented for the occasion, passed over his mind. Once he was able to move again, and once he tracked them down, he was going to kill every single one of them.

…

Eira's heart pounded in her head as she started out at the fight that was going on. Well, fight wasn't the correct word. She knew they wouldn't stand a chase against _these people_. The pirates knew nothing of what _they_ could do. _They_ had the advantage. If the pirates had a chance of escape it lied with her and only her. But she couldn't get herself to move towards them. She didn't want _them_ to notice her. She had to get away from here. She should go help them. No, she had to run. No, she had to stay.

She ran her hands through her hair. Her mind spun with confusion. She had no idea what she should do. She wasn't even sure what she wanted. The past week ran through her mind. Her desire to kill Neo and Law was still gone, but if that was true the why didn't she run out there and help them? She had to help. She shook her head. "No! No! No! I don't care about them! I won't go back! I won't! No matter what I'm never going back to that place! Besides, I own them nothing! They invaded my privacy!"

Eira's eyes went back to _them_. Her heart stopped when she saw them pick Neo up and run away from the scene. That was it. It was over. Law, Bepo, and Penguin were left where they were. There was nothing she could do now. _They_ had already taken Neo and would be several hundred miles away from this island by now. Her eyes drifted away from the three left in the field before she turned and disappeared deep into the woods. There was no way she could face them now.

…

Time passed painfully slow for Law after he could no longer feel Neo anywhere near him, each second he felt her getting farther and farther away. And a piece of his soul went with her. His fingers twitched but no real movement was coming back to him yet. He tried to figure out what type of magic they used on them. But, outside of Neo's, what did he know about magic anyway? Nothing. Even if he did his brain wouldn't corporate. It only wanted to lock onto Neo and how scared she would be when she woke up without him or the crew there. He had to remind himself over and over that Neo would be fine. She would figure out how to get free of them and take care of herself. Or she would get a message to him and he would come save her. He just had to wait. He had to be patient.

"Captain," Bepo said. "Are you all right?"  
Law would have rolled his eyes if he could.

"I'm sorry. That was a stupid question," Bepo said kneeling down to his captain. "Just hold on a little bit longer. You should be able to move soon."

Law heard Penguin growl in frustration.

"Looks like Penguin is starting to move again," Bepo reported. "I'm not sure what that was they hit us with but it appears that it only paralyzed us for a while. I guess it's an escape technique."

Law's fingers twitched a bit more. Finally he could feel more movement coming back into his body. It still took far too long before he was able to finally sit up.

"I'm glad you're okay, Captain," Bepo said. "You too, Penguin."

Neither of them spoke. They just sat on the ground with dangerous auras surrounding them.

"So what do we do now?" Bepo asked.

Law glanced up at Bepo, his eyes filled with anger. "Where's Eira?"

"I'm not sure," Bepo said looking back to the forest. "She was following me when I can running to help Penguin and Neo. Maybe she went after Neo?"

"No," Law said. "She didn't."

"Can you sense her, Captain?" Penguin asked.

Law concentrated but the girl never appeared to him. "No. I can't sense her for some reason."

"So we're just going to have to look for her the old fashion way," Penguin said.

"Bepo will go looking for her," Law said. "We're going to head back into the town and gather the crew."

"Aye, Captain," Bepo and Penguin said.

"Let's go." Law grabbed his sword and pushed himself to his feet. He created his Room and warped himself and Penguin back into the town while Bepo ran off into the woods to track down the missing girl. Appearing in the middle of the street, he said, "Gather as many as you can and meet back at the docks."

"Aye, Captain," Penguin said before he turned and dashed off.

Law turned the opposite way and headed towards a bar where he had saw some of his crew enter into before Neo had called for him. A small amount of relief filled him when he saw they were still there. Uni and Ikkaku were still there, Uni with a busty woman on his lap. Clione was the only one was missing. He walked right over to them. "Neo's been taken."

"What?!" they shouted and stood up.

"Hey!" the woman protested when she slid from the pirate's lap. She smoothed out her short skirt and walked away with a frown.

But the pirates didn't pay her any more attention. They just rushed around the table while Ikkaku said Clione was upstairs with a woman from the bar. She ran off to get him while Law said, "Fine the rest of the crew. Penguin is already looking for them and Bepo is looking for Eira."

"Eira?" Uni asked.

"Just go!" Law hissed.

"Aye!" Uni bolted out the door.

"Hey! You could have at least let me get my clothes on!" Clione's voice shouted out just before he and Ikkaku appeared at the top of the stairs.

"You're half dressed!" Ikkaku said pulling him along by the ear. "No one's going to see your erected manhood. So that's good enough!"

"You don't have to shout that out!" Clione protested.

"Suck it up! We have more important things to worry about than your pride!" Ikkaku said.

"We're ready to go, Captain," Ikkaku said.

"Then gather the crew at the dock," Law said. "Penguin and Uni are already out looking for them."

"Where's Eira and Bepo?" Ikkaku asked as they headed for the door.

"Bepo's looking for her," Law said. Outside they split up. "I'm going to the sub."

"Aye!"

Law formed his Room and warped himself to the docks. He then warped himself into the sub and into every single room on it. Eira was nowhere on the thing. He warped himself back outside to wait for his crew. His eyes scanned the ships at the dock. He should have paid more attention to how many were there when they landed. Eira could have already snuck on one and took off. He gripped his sword, the sheath dug into his skin. Part of him hoped that girl wasn't on the island. He wasn't sure if he could keep from killing her the second he laid eyes on her. He knew she was the one those people were looking for. He knew they had taken Neo by mistake. But why? Neo and Eira might have similarities in their looks but they were still very different from each other. Neo was a couple inches shorter with blue hair and eyes. Eira had black hair and steel colored eyes. So why would they take someone who was obviously not Eira?

Time still passed all too slow for Law. But eventually he spotted his crewmembers running towards him, all of them filled with worry and anger. Spreading out his Room, he warped them to the docks to get them there quicker.

"We're here!" Topaz said. "What now? Who took Neo?!"

"What's going on?!" Basil added.

"We don't know," Law said. "But I believe they were after Eira."

"Where is she anyway?" Jean Bart asked.

"Bepo's looking for her," Law said.

"What do you mean?" Basil asked. "Isn't she with Bepo?"

"She was, but we have no idea where she is right now. And for some reason I can't sense her presence," Law said.

"Did she leave the island already?" Basil asked.

"I don't think so," Law said.

"I'll head off to the forest to help Bepo," Topaz said. "I'll ask the animals to help us search."

"I'm coming with you! You six!" Law growled as he pointed to six of his crewmembers. "Keep an eye on the deck in case she tries to escape on a ship!"

"Aye, Captain!" Five of the six spread out around the docks so they could keep a better eye on all of the ships.

"I'll stay with the sub incase she tries to sneak onboard," Jean Bart said.

"All right! The rest of you spread out! I want that girl found! And I want her found _now_!" Law said. "I want to know where they took Neo!"

"Aye, Captain!" The crew turned and ran off to cover as much as the island that they could.

"Let's go!" Law said just before warping himself and Topaz back to where he was before. "Where's Bepo?"

"I can sense him about two miles northeast of here," Topaz said.

Law warped them. Again and again he warped them until they popped in front of Bepo.

The bear screamed and wailed his arms. "Ah! Where did you come from?!"

"Captain, I understand that you're worried about Neo, but you can't keep popping around like that," Topaz said. "You're going to run out of energy before the real battle begins."

"Fine her," Law said with sharp sternness.

Topaz sighed. Turning the forests she sensed out as many animals as she could find. Within minutes tons of birds, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and even a couple bears gathered around the Elemental. "My friends, we really need your help. We're trying to find a girl. She looks like a snow leopard wearing a cloak. A snow leopard is a feline, a cat. We need to find her as soon as possible. Now go, my friends."

The animals took off.

"Have you found any trace of her?" Law asked.

"Her scent is all over this place. And I mean that literally," Bepo said. "Her scent is so scattered I can't figure out which way she went."

"She might be using that warping technic she has to evade and confuse us," Topaz said.

"It's not going to be easy to bring her in," Bepo said.

"I will," Law hissed. He clenched his fists; his sheath breaking his skin filled the air with iron. "And she's going to tell me everything she knows. Even if I have to beat the truth out of here." He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself. "Let's find her!"

"Aye, Captain!" The three took off. They looked up into every tree that they could, in every bush, and around every rock for the missing feline.

…

Basil turned his eyes to Penguin. He had somehow managed to group up with him and Shachi. Both the two men were angry, but Penguin was something more. He had no idea how to describe the furry he clearly saw on Penguin's expression. Running through the woods, he moved closer to Shachi. He said, "Is he going to be okay? I mean I know he's really close to Neo and all…"

"He'll be fine when he have Neo back," Shachi said. "Until then just keep your distance a bit from him and the captain. When Neo's in trouble they both tend to fly off the handle and don't think straight. They probably won't eat much either."

"Thanks for the warning," Basil said. He turned his eyes to the thick forest around them. "Finding her in this place is going to be a serious pain."

"I don't care!" Penguin snapped, revealing he was listening to them. "We will find her!"

"Of course we will, Pen," Shachi said. "It won't take long at all with Topaz asking the forest creatures for their help."

"With how much trouble she gave us when we first chased after her, I think you're being a bit too optimistic," Basil said.

"Shut up! I have to be optimistic!" Shachi snapped. "Neo can't stand being away from us, especially the captain!"

"I guess I still don't fully understand her relationship with you all," Basil said.

Shachi sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just when Neo's in danger we all get a little snappy and very worried because of her past. The last time she was taken from us the Dark Elementals tried to kill her. This might cause a relapse even thought she's gotten stronger since then."

"I see," Basil said. "I hope that doesn't happen."

"Yeah." Shachi nodded. "Me too."

…

Panting hard, Eira paused in a tall tree. She looked down. Branches and leaves hide her well enough, but since Law had the ability to sense her, not to mention Bepo smelling her scent, she knew she couldn't stay here for very long. Still she had been running and warping herself nonstop for the past two hours. Her heart and head were pounding to the point she was going to be sick if she didn't take a break. Sliding down against the tree she wrapped her arms around herself. She needed to get off that island. But how? She knew by now Law would have his crew, or some of them, watching the docks for her. She should have headed there from the start. But she couldn't risk it. _They_ were known for staying in the shadows, but they could still spot her once she headed out to sea. Or maybe they wouldn't since they thought they already had her.

A sharp pain stabbed in her head when the image of Neo being taken away flashed through her mind repetitively. She grabbed her head and screamed. "It's not my fault! I didn't tell them to take her!"

More images invaded her brain. All of them showing how nice and kind Neo was to her despite how aggressive she had been back and how she tried to kill her. "I'm not guilty! I did nothing wrong! I couldn't stop them anyway! If I had shown myself they would have just taken us both!"

The pain subsided enough for her to release her head. She wrapped her arms back around her. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks. "What have I done? What do I do? Polaris…"

…

 **Author's Notes: Coming chapters might be delayed. I'm having issues with them.**

 **Booksarelife9: I pmed you. Feel free to pm me back if you want or just leave another comment if you prefer. Thanks for your thoughts on this story.**


	15. Divided

Divided

Neo cracked open her eyes. The bright lights sent a hard stab of pain through her already throbbing head. She shut her eyes and took a couple slow deep breaths. After a few minutes the pain started to subside and she was able to open her eyes. It was then she noticed the canopy above her. She was lying on a bed with a thick mattress. She shot up when she remembered what had happened. _'Law? Law! Where are you?!'_ Her heart slammed against her chest. She couldn't sense him nor get in contact with him. That mean they were so far apart their shared thoughts didn't work. She closed her eyes in an attempt to project herself to him, but paused. She didn't know if she was safe enough to do that. She looked to the end of the bed; there was a large fireplace in the room with what appeared to be two hallways on each side of it. It was thirty yards away from her but she could still feel the heat from the flames.

To her left was a bay widow. She licked her lips. It could be a possible way for her to escape. A few feet from the window was a pearl table with two matching chairs with royal purple cushions. And directly across from it was two large double doors painted white with a gold trimming around it and the walls of the room. Shuffling from the hall gave the impression that someone was guarding the room. It made sense that she would be guarded. But it made her wonder why she was in a room instead of a cell.

Memories of being trapped on Luminous flashed through her mind. She inhaled sharply. Her hands shot to her head as her sharp breathing increased. "No…not again…I can't…handle…this. Law!"

Neo forced herself to draw in a slow breath. "Calm down. It's all right. You're not hurt. You can handle this." A few more breaths and her pulse slowed down. "That's it. You're fine. You can easily handle this. Law and the crew will come for you."

Neo drew in one more long and deep breath before placing her hands on her legs. At that point she noticed she was wearing tube like bracelets, purple in color. Lifting her hands back up, she inspected them. She ran her finger over the smooth surface and found there didn't appear to be anyway to take them off. Still, she tried to pull them off. She jumped when they started to glow and released them. The glow faded. "What was that?"

Two knocks came on the door.

Neo froze and tried to summon her crystals. But none of them came to her. In a panic, she jumped off the bed and ran over to the window. She tried to push it open but it wouldn't move. Fingering the window she pushed the lock to open but the window still wouldn't move. Pounding on the glass in frustration, she noticed why it wouldn't open. A raging snowstorm was going on outside. She was too upset to even notice it before. The storm had frozen the windows shut.

The door cracked open an inch.

Neo whipped around, readying herself for a fight if she had to. She just hoped she didn't have to fight. Touching someone right now would not be a good thing for her.

The door was pushed open and a cloaked figure, just like before, walked in carrying something over their covered hand.

Neo shivered when a cold rush of wind entered the room before the door was closed. Narrowing her eyebrows she watched the person walk farther into the room. She carefully watched them until they stopped walking when they reached the halfway point between the door and the window. She flicked her eyes to the doors, wondering if she could possible escape and how many were out in the hall.

"Don't bother trying to escape," the cloaked figure said. "It won't work."

Neo remained silent.

"It won't be easy for you to escape this place, Princess of the Elementals," the figure said. "It's actually impossible."

Neo's heart leaped into her throat. "Who are…how do you know that?"

"I can sense the crystals within you," the figure said. "As you might have figured out from my brethren attacking you, we're not human either." The figure pushed their hand through the sleeve of their cloak revealing dark green skin and very thin fingers before pushing their hood off their head. "See?"

Neo's eyes widened at what she saw. The person wasn't human. The closest she could come to describe the creature was a cross between a goblin and an elf with long ears, a curved nose, stringy black hair, and deep, deep blue eyes. But what disturbed her the most were the injuries on him. He wore a bandage around his right eye and his face was marred with several scars from a knife and fire. She swallowed.

"You don't have to be afraid of me," he said. "I won't hurt you."

Neo studied his slumped posture and her own feelings. She believed him. She felt no malicious intent coming from him at all. So she banished her crystals and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest while fingering Law's ring.

"Would you like some water?" He held out his hands.

That's when she noticed he was holding a glass of water.

"It'll help you feel better," he said. "You're head is probably still a bit fuzzy. That happens with the magic they used on you."

"Why are you being so nice?" Neo asked. "Why did you take me from my family?"

"It wasn't me who took you," he said lowering the glass and his hands. "That would be a few different Keepers."

"Keepers?" Neo asked.

"I don't have time to explain everything right now," he said. "But we Keepers are not your enemies. And taking you was a big mistake."

"Then let me go!" Neo said.

"Shh," he shushed her. He glanced over his shoulder at the doors before looking back at her. "They will be coming shortly. They will know you are not the one they were looking for. But they won't care. You can still use the ice talisman."

"Ice talisman?" Neo asked just before the doors swung open. A gust of cold wind followed it. She looked over to find a tall man wearing a long winter coat step into the room. Danger radiated off this guy. His black eyes were lifeless as he stared at her with a frown.

"How stupid can you Keepers be?" he asked. "She is obviously not Icy."

"Yes, sir." The other one in the room bowed to the man.

"And they said the ice talisman reacted to her?" the man asked.

"Yes, sir," he replied. "That is their report."

"Interesting." The man looked Neo over. "I never would have guessed another could use that talisman. Still, the others failed in their mission. And they will be punished."

"Yes, sir."

"What are you talking about?" Neo asked.

The man smiled at her. His pearly white teeth contrasting to the coldness in his eyes. "Well, my dear, I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Andri." He bowed dramatically to her. "It's nice to meet you. I'm afraid my lover couldn't come see you right now. She's not feeling to well."

Neo frowned. There was nothing nice about this at all.

"To get to the point, you were brought here to Ivy Island to use the ice talisman to freeze over the planet," Andri said.

"What?" Neo asked.

"I do not like repeating myself." Andri narrowed his eyebrows. "So don't expect me to."

Neo flickered her eyes to the cloaked figure. He was staring straight down at the floor. She wished she had gotten his name before Andri came in. He seemed more informative than Andri. She wanted to speak to him instead. Maybe she'd get the chance once this guy was gone.

"Now listen well," Andri said. "I'm sure by now you've noticed those bracelets on your wrists." He held up his own. "It's linked to this one I'm wearing. You're not allowed to get outside of a hundred yards of myself or my lover."

Neo twitched. She was a prisoner after all. Only it was by mistake and different from Luminous. She tried to summon her crystals. And once again they didn't appear. Whatever they did to her must have disconnected her from her magic. She wouldn't be able to contact Law for a while.

"So there's no need for guards or bars on your window and doors," Andri said. "I'll give you a little time to adjust to your new home. You're free to roam around as you like."

"This isn't my home!" Neo snapped before she could stop herself.

Andri's frown deepened. "I will not be contradicted. This _is_ your own. And while you're living here you will obey me."

Neo glanced at the other one in the room. He was fidgeting nervously. She brought her eyes back to Andri.

"You have one and only one job here," Andri said. "And that is to use the ice talisman."

"I don't understand," Neo said.

"It'll make sense later," Andri said as he headed for the door. "Magic can't often be explained without a demonstration." He opened and stepped out into the hall. "I will see you at dinner."

The door closed.

Neo rubbed her arms. But she wasn't sure if she was cold because of the coldness that was still in the room or if it was from Andri.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"What's going on?" Neo asked. "I don't understand anything."

"I know you don't," he said. "It's just as Andri said. He and his lover, Neve, want to freeze the world over."

"But why?" Neo asked.

"We're not exactly sure why," he said. "They only tell us what they think we need to know."

"What's your name?" Neo asked.

"Polaris," he replied.

"Polaris?" Neo blinked. "Then you know Eira."

"I do." Polaris nodded with a soft smile. "How is she?"

"A handful," Neo said. "I think my crew is about to skin her alive. After what happened it wouldn't surprised me if they have by now."

Polaris chuckled. "I'm not surprised. Eira has always been a handful." His smiled faded. "I'm sorry she betrayed you."

"How do you know she did that?" Neo asked. Her head spun. She swayed and placed her hand on the cushion to stabilize herself.

"Because I know she'll do anything to keep from coming back to this place," Polaris said. He held out the water to her. "Here. You should drink this."

"I'm not thirsty," Neo said.

"You really should drink it," Polaris said. "It'll help get rid of the lingering effects of the talisman's magic. I made it myself. Andri has nothing to do with it."

"I can use my own magic," Neo said.

"I'm afraid not," Polaris said.

"What do you mean?" Neo asked.

"The bracelets you wear also suppress your magic," Polaris said. "You're still able to use it, but you're limited to only about five minutes. Maybe a little more or a little less depending on how much magic you're using."

"And why didn't Andri tell me about that?" Neo asked.

"He gets an excited high when someone figures stuff like that out on their own," Polaris said. He stepped closer to her. "Please, drink this. You'll fill a lot better. I promise. I have no intention of hurting you."

"I know." Neo took the glass from him. "I can tell you're good."

"I'm sorry about all of this," Polaris said. "If I could get you out of here then I would."

Neo took a drink. While the liquid looked like water it tasted like cinnamon.

"But I'm afraid I can't," Polaris said. He slipped his hand farther out of his cloak sleeve and showed her the bracelet he wore. It was the same as the ones she wore. "After I helped Eira escape Andri put this on me."

"You helped her escape?" Neo asked.

"I did." Polaris nodded. "I'm not sure if she told you anything, but she's been having these strange dreams."

"She told us that when we saw the images inside of her sketchbook," Neo said. "But that was about it. Why is she able to have our memories?"

"I can't answer that," Polaris said.

"Why not? You know why she has them, don't you?" Neo asked.

Polaris nodded.

"Then tell me," Neo begged. "Please."

"I can't. Not here anyway." Polaris looked at the door then back at Neo. "But there is someone and somewhere that you can be informed about there."

"And where's that? And by who?" Neo asked.

"That is also something I can't reveal here," Polaris said. "It would be extremely dangerous if Andri and Neve learned of this. If you will be patient, I will take you to that place and person."

Neo chewed on his words then accepted them. "Very well. I can wait."

"Thank you," Polaris said with a smile. "You will not regret it."

"How far are we from the island I was taken from?" Neo asked.

"Three weeks," Polaris said.

Ice flooded through Neo's veins. "I've been asleep for three weeks?"

"No," Polaris said. "You've only been a sleep for three days."

"Three days." Neo placed her hand on her head. "Law is going to be so furious."

"Who's that?" Polaris asked.

"He's my fiancée." Heat rose on her cheeks. "I have to talk to him."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Polaris said.

"It is," Neo said looking over at the door. "But I'm not sure if I should tell you about it." She brought her eyes back to him. "I'm sorry.

"Don't be. I understand not wanting to share secrets," Polaris said. "Is there anything you need?"

Neo shook her head. There was. But it was someone he couldn't bring her.

"Dinner will be served in about an hour." He pointed to the left of the fireplace. "Through there are some clothes. You'll need to keep warm in the rest of the house." He pointed to the other side. "And that's where the bathroom is. It's completely stocked with everything you need. I have work to get done now. But if you need anything, that rope hanging beside the bed will call me."

Neo looked at the rope while handing him the glass back.

"I'll come back later to escort you to dinner," Polaris said as he headed for the door.

"Wait," Neo said. "Why do I have to wear warm clothes?"

"Because Neve can only live in the cold," Polaris said before stepping out of the room.

Another rush of cold wafted into the room. Neo wondered how someone, especially a human, could stand it so cold in their house. Sighing, she leaned back against the wall and watched the snowstorm. While doing that she thought about Law and her crew. She wondered if they had gotten Eira to tell them where she was. She wondered if Law had tortured Eira yet. She wondered if Law was going to keep him cool enough to come find her. "Law…"

An hour later a knock brought Neo's attention back to where she was. The door opened and Polaris walked in. "I'm here to escort you to the dinning room."

"I'm not hungry," Neo said.

"You must go," Polaris said. "Andri will not be pleased if you don't."

"I don't care," Neo said. "I'm not going anything for him."

"Look, um…what's your name?"

"Neo."

"Look, Neo, I can understand you not wanting to do anything for them, but you need to cooperate, at least for a while," Polaris said. "You've seen my scars. They can do this to you as well."

Neo cringed. That would most likely mean that they would have to touch her. And with her magic being suppressed she had no idea what the outcome would be. "Fine."

Polaris nodded. His eyes dropped down to her bare feet. "You should get dressed now. The clothes should fit you."

Neo forced herself away from the window. She entered into the closet and flipped on the light. Several warm coats were hanging up along the wall. Matching boots were sitting on the floor while sweaters and winter pants were folded neatly on shelves. Sighing she grabbed the closest items and pulled them on. Luckily, they were black and reminded her of Law. It also made her feel like he was close to her, wrapping his arms around her. "He will come. I just have to figure out how to get him here."

"Are you ready?" Polaris asked.

"Yes." Neo walked back out to him. She followed him out of the room and into the cold hallway. Everything appeared to be iced over. Pictures, flowers, the walls, and rugs were unidentifiable. Even the doors to most of the other rooms were frozen shut. It was hard to picture this place as an actual home. But it was starting to give her an idea of why Eira had issues with homes and families. This place didn't feel very loving at all.

"We're here," Polaris said.

Neo pulled her eyes back to him. They were standing in what appeared to be a living room. But with all the ice and snow she couldn't be sure. She turned her eyes to the doorway where Polaris was standing and walked through it. Her eyes landed on the rectangular table.

"It's good you came."

Neo jumped at Andri's voice. She found him at the far end of the table.

"Please, sit." Andri waved to the chair at the opposite end.

Neo went there and sat down. A few seconds later, another Keeper came rushing into the room. She was carrying a tray of dinning utensils and looked almost identical to Polaris. She wondered if they were related. Only made differences were their genders and she wore her hair back in a thin braid. The Keeper placed the items down on the table then scurried off through a doorway Neo could only assume was the kitchen.

"My lover will be here soon," Andri said. "She's very excited to meet you."

Neo remained silent. A few minutes passed before a wave of heat rushing through the room. Confused, she knitted her eyebrows and looked around. Just then a tall, long black haired woman with curves to spar waltzed into the room. Heat rushed to her cheeks when she found the woman wearing only a thin-strapped bikini. It was the most revealing thing she had ever seen. It barely covered half of the woman's breasts.

"My love," the woman purred as she sat down on Andri's lap and all but shoved her tongue down his throat.

Neo dropped her eyes to the table when Andri moaned and bucked up against the woman. She wanted to run back to her room and bar the door shut.

"Lover, please," Andri said. "We have a guest."

"I know," she said. "Just making it clear that you're mine."

Andri chuckled.

Neo frowned. She had no interest in this man. The display was highly unnecessary.

"My name is Neve," Neve said with a condescending smile. "What is yours, my dear?"

A momentary thought of being stubborn flashed through Neo's mind. It was quickly followed by Polaris's injures. "Neo."

"Neo, huh?" Neve said. "That's an interesting name."

…

Law growled in anger. Three days have passed since Neo was taken. And they still hadn't managed to capture Eira. His patience was wearing thin, dangerously thin. It was only made worse when Neo hadn't contacted him yet. His heart pounded hard nonstop since she was taken away from him. His mind went over different scenarios of what that could mean. She was in danger and couldn't project herself safely. She was unconscious or being kept in a coma. He knew she wasn't dead since he was still alive. But what was happening to her? Who took her?

"Eira!" Conner hallowed out, several stings of curses followed the name.

Law looked in the direction the voice was coming from. But all he could see was the forest. His crew, minus the six watching the docks, was once again running around in the forest. A couple of times they had come close to catching her. But with her powers or magic she was easily able to escape them with her own warping ability He hated she had the ability to do that. It gave him taste of how his enemies felt when he used it against them. He hated that even more.

He growled. Three days was way too long for her to go un-captured. She had to be caught. So he formulated a plan. He had the crew rotate the search for her. That way they could eat, sleep, and refuel their energy for more chasing. Eira wouldn't have that. This forest didn't bear much fruit and she would be unable to capture any wild animal if they kept pushing her to run. He put that plan in to place yesterday. Surely she was running out of energy by now.

Pushing off the tree he was leaning against, he headed deeper into the forest until he found one of his crew. "Well?"

"She's wearing down, Captain," Jean Bart said. "I think she's about to pass out. She ran this way."

"Good." Law followed the large man as he lead him in the direction the others were chasing Eira."

After a couple moments of walking, they could hear the crew's voices.

"Come on, Eira."

"Just stop this nonsense."

"We need to find Neo."

Law and Jean Bart arrived in a small clearing in the forest. Eira was standing in the middle of the crew. She was panting hard. Her arms and legs trembled with exhaustion. Wasting no more time, he warped in front of her. He glared down at her. "Enough."

Eira gritted her teeth. Holding up her hands to Law's chest, she tried to freeze him. But she was far too tired to produce any ice, even a small amount.

Law threw his punch into her stomach. Blood spewed from her mouth. He kneed her, her body collapsed to the ground. Walking away, he said, "Bring her to the sub. I want her in a cell with sea prism stone on her."

"Aye, Captain," the crew said as quietly as they possible could.

Reaching the docks, Law released his six crewmates then warped inside of the sub to his and Neo's room. He slumped in his chair, dropping his sword onto the floor. His hidden eyes glanced over at their empty bed. His heart squeezed. Three days without her sleeping beside him, not that he got much sleep. It hurt him to think about it. He hoped and prayed she didn't have a nightmare while they were apart. He closed his eyes and tried to project himself to her. It didn't work. She still wasn't responding to him.

A knock came on the door. "Captain, it's me. She's down in the brig."

Law got up. Leaving his sword where it was, he couldn't trust himself not to run the blade through Eira's heart, and went to the door. Bepo was still standing there when he exited the room. He could instantly see the worry in the bear's eyes. "Don't worry, Bepo. I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Bepo nodded.

Law proceeded to the stairs. One by one he went down them, thinking about all the ways he could torture the truth out of Eira. He reached the fourth floor. The hallway was deserted. He moved on down the hall and entered the third door on the left. Six barred cells lined the opposite wall. In the second was Eira. Her wrists were bound above her head against the wall. She was also bound at her ankles. She would be able to kick him since they weren't attached to the floor. He wasn't worried. She was far too tired to even lift her legs. His eyes then flittered to Penguin, Shachi, and Topaz. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to stay or not. He turned back to Eira and warped into the cell.

Eira didn't move.

Law drilled his eyes into her. He wanted her to look up at him so he could kick her in the face. Heck, he thought about doing it anyway. Still, he gave her a chance to prevent it. "You have five seconds to tell me everything before I start torturing the truth out of you."

Eira remained quiet.

"Very well. You've made your choice." Law drew his leg back and swung. His boot collided with the side of her face. Blood and a tooth flew out of her mouth and landed on the floor with a ping and a plop. He punched and kicked her several more times. "Talk."

Eira still said nothing.

Gritting his teeth in anger, he reached out, grabbed her right index finger, and snapped it.

Eira cried out at the pain.

"You better start talking," Law hissed before snapping her middle finger.

Eira tried to force back her cry. It came out as a pathetic whimper.

"This is the last time I'm going to tell you," Law said. " _Talk!_ "

Eira flinched. Her snow leopard fur disappeared and was replaced with tan skin. Her white hair faded to black. She lifted her eyes to him.

Law flinched. His eyes locked onto hers. Her electric blue eyes were identical to Neo's.

"It can't be," Penguin said from behind him. He grabbed the bars. "Why do you have Neo's eyes?!"

"I can't believe it," Shachi said. "I know she looks a lot like the captain, but with her eyes that electric blue…"

"Their looks, powers, and magic?" Topaz said. "What in the world is going on here?"

Law trembled in blind anger. He couldn't believe it. _She_ has Neo's eyes. And not just the color, they _were_ Neo's eyes. The size and shape, it was all the same. If he didn't know better, he would have thought this was Neo just with black hair and a lighter skin color. He knew that wasn't true. This girl might have their looks and memories, but she didn't have their bond. Why did she have to have Neo's eyes? There was no way he would be able to continue this torturing. He couldn't hurt Neo. If only Eira didn't have those eyes.

Law spun away from her. Without a word he warped up to their room. The quiet nearly killed him. For whatever reason, his eyes went to Neo's Luminous corner. The punch he had made when they were first separated was still there. Rage built up inside of him. Running over to it, he punched the dent, pushing it in farther, before collapsing to the floor next to the large teddy bear he had gotten her back on Sabaody. A humorless chuckle escaped his lips. "Well…this is familiar."

…

Relief settled over Neo when the Keepers brought out their food. Lifting the lid off her plate, the Keeper walked away. She looked to find fish and wild rice with beans. She was grateful they were feeding her, but she didn't feel like eat. Her fingers pressed against Law's ring. She wanted to be back with him. She needed to project herself to him.

"Are you sure she can handle the ice talisman?" Neve slid over to her icy chair.

Neo couldn't help but notice the ice melting. She furrowed her eyebrows curious to know how that this woman's skin can do that to ice. There was something inside of her body. But what was it? A Devil Fruit?

"Yes, lover," Andri said. "It reacted to her just like Icy."

"Interesting, but I'm having a hard time believing it," Neve said.

"You could test her on it," Andri said.

"Such a wonderful idea, my pet." Neve ran a long fingernail over Andri's cheek. "I'll have to reward you with some oral later."

Lush flooded Andri's eyes. "I can't wait for that."

"Would you like it now?" Neve tugged down on her bikini top.

Neo about jumped out of her chair. She wanted to get out of here.

"Not now, lover," Andri said. "I'm hungry."

"Oh." Neve pouted but retracted her hand.

Neo waited for them two to start eating before she forced herself to pick up her fork. She took a bite of the fish. If it had spices on it she couldn't tell. She couldn't even taste the fish. Several minutes have passed. She watched the two at the other end nibble on their food and on each other. Her lips parted in an attempt to get as much information as she possible could. But a loud boom from outside interrupted her.

"What the heck was that?!" Andri asked.

"Sir!" A Keeper came running into the room. "We're under attack again!"

"Take her back to her room! Now!" Andri demanded. He threw his hand out at Neo before he and Neve left the room and then the house.

Polaris came rushing into the room. He took Neo's arm and all but pulled her out of her chair. "Come. Hurry."

"What's going on?" Neo asked as she was rushed through the halls by this creature. "What is it?"

"We're under attack by a pirate ship," Polaris said.

"A pirate ship?" Neo's heart skipped a beat. She hoped it was Law but the thought as soon as she had it dashed when she realized she still couldn't sense him. "Who's ship? What pirate crew?"

"One of the Emperors," Polaris said as he guided her into the bedroom. "It's one of the divisions. The Emperor hasn't actually been here in over six years."

"Shanks?" Neo asked. Heat from the fire rushed over them upon entering the room.

"Yes," Polaris said closing the door. "Well, it's a branch of his crew."

"Shanks is my godfather," Neo said. Her heart raced with the thought of Elementals being on the ship. But if they were she would have sensed them by now. And they would have sensed her and came ashore long before now. Her heart dropped. Her people only traveled with Shanks. He never said if her people sailed with his divisions.

Polarize whipped his eyes to her. "You have got to be kidding. The red haired pirate, one of the Four Emperors, is your godfather?"

"It's true," Neo said with a nod. "He knew my parents. They made him the godfather to my brother, Kailen, and me. I have to talk to the pirates. They'll help me get out of here."

"I'm sorry," Polaris said. "But Andri never lets the ships get close enough. You wouldn't be able to board it. He sends out the Keepers and Neve to fight them. You won't be able to get pass them. Remember you're being restricted on your magic and your ability to move away from Andri and Neve."

Neo gritted her teeth. She had forgotten about that. Five minutes would have been long enough to fly to the ship, but the length was the real issue. "Well, there is another way I can get word to Shanks. But I need to be able to use more of my magic."

"What do you mean?" Polaris asked.

Neo chewed on the thought for a moment. She didn't like telling people of her bonds between herself, Law, and Shanks. But she had to get a message to them both. She had to. That was her only option of getting out of here. "I'm bonded to him. Our minds are connected. If I can use a little more of my magic I'll be able to get him to come here."

"If only we could hope," Polaris said.

"Polaris, I'm not going to pretend that I'm smart enough to understand or know what exactly is going on here," Neo said placing a hand on his shoulder. "But I can see that you and your people are not happy here. And that's because of Andri and Neve, isn't it?"

Polaris nodded.

"Then help me escape," Neo said. "I can free you all as well."

"You don't know the dangers there is in attempting that." Polaris touched the bandage on his face.

"They hurt you, didn't they?" Neo asked.

Polaris nodded.

"Don't you want away from all of this?" Neo waved her had towards the frozen window. "Or does your people like it like this?"

"We are not bothered by the cold," Polaris said. "But we do miss the warmth this island use to have. And we all are tried of being pushed around by Andri and Neve."

"Then why not fight back?" Neo asked.

"We're fast, but not strong," Polaris said. He pushed up his sleeve and showed her his thin arm.

Neo studied his arm. If anyone else were as thin as he was they would be malnourished for sure. But for him it looked normal.

"We're built to be fast. So fast that we can run across the water. That's how we brought you here and only in a few days," Polaris said dropping his arm back to his side. "We can fight with talismans but we're not strong enough to fight against Neve. And Andri is able to suppress the talismans as well."

"Polaris, I can free you all from them," Neo said. "All I have to do is call for my godfather, his crew, and my own crew. They will come here and free us all."

"They will never be able to get close enough," Polaris said.

"My crew travels on a submarine," Neo said.

"They'd still have to surface to get close enough to the island to come ashore," Polaris said.

"They won't have to," Neo said. "Law can warp them to the island with his Devil Fruit powers. Or my people can just fly them. They can also create a fog so the ships can come straight to the island."

"And your people travel with you all?" Polaris asked.

"Not with my own crew, but my people do travel with Shanks a lot," Neo said. "He's a good friend of everyone on my home island. And while the location of our island is a secret, his flag flies there. We're protected by him and his crew."

"That must make your rivalry as pirates difficult," Polaris said.

"Maybe," Neo said. "But my godfather and his crew will never hurt Law and the others. They are my family. And they are also under Godfather's protection because of that."

"I'm still not sure about this," Polaris said.

"Polaris, please," Neo said. "They will come here and free us."

"Will Eira come with them?" Polaris asked.

"I know she will," Neo said. "I know Law will get her to tell him where this place is. If I can get word to him and my godfather they can get here in a short amount of time with the help of my people." She bit her lip and watched as Polaris considered this option. "Please?"

"Well, I guess we can give it a try," Polaris said. "Andri has only been keeping me alive in hopes Eira would come back."

"He's using you as bait?" Neo asked.

"He is." Polaris nodded. "Eira and I are rather close. I guess you could say that I raised her."

"So you're like a father to her," Neo said.

"I suppose you can look at it that way," Polaris said. "I did teach her as much as I could about the world and how to fight."

"And you want to see her again," Neo said.

"I do," Polaris said.

"Then help me," Neo said. "Help me and I can also return this island back to normal. It's not really an icy island, is it?"

"It's not." Polaris shook his head.

"I can heal it," Neo said. "I can feel how this place is suffering. Don't let it suffer anymore."

"You really are connected to nature," Polaris said.

"I am," Neo said. "I'm the Princess of the Elementals."

"Princess," Polaris mumbled. "You are something else. I can't wait to hear why you're not on your home island."

"It's along story," Neo said.

"One we have time for, if you are willing to share," Polaris said. "We have plenty of time to talk. Andri and Neve will go back to their room once this fight is over."

Neo nodded. She led him over to the table and they sat down. Taking a deep breath, she told him everything about how she was hated as a child for being different even though no one knew why, how she met up with Law, how Law had helped her gain control over her crystals, to how they got engaged, and everything up to this point in time. After she was all done, she yawned.

"That's a lot for one person to deal with," Polaris said.

"Yeah." Neo nodded then yawned again.

"You must be tried," Polaris said.

"Stress gets me like that," Neo said rubbing her eye. "I guess it's finally caught up with me."

"Then I will let you rest." Polaris stood up.

"Wait," Neo said. "Will you help me?"

"I will," Polaris said. "Later tonight they have tea I'll slip a sleeping potion inside of it. When they are asleep I'll turn down the magic talisman that's suppressing your magic. But the potion doesn't work for very long on them. We could get caught. They could reactivate the talisman that keeps you here. It'll pull you right back to this place. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I am." Neo nodded.

"Very well then," Polaris said heading for the door. "I will return later tonight. Get some rest until then."

"Thank you, Polaris," Neo said. She watched him close the door then removed her warm clothing before climbing into bed. While falling asleep, she fingered Law's ring and thought about how they'd be together again soon.

…

"Neo?"

Neo groaned and shifted in her sleep at the sound of her name.

"Neo, wake up. Please."

"Huh?" Neo opened her eyes. She gasped and sat up upon remembering where she was.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Polaris said.

"It's all right," Neo said. "I forgot where I was. I'm fine."

"Everything has been set," Polaris said. "You better do what you have to before it's too late."

"Are you going to stay in here?" Neo asked.

"Should I leave?" he asked.

"No, I think I'd prefer it if you stayed."

"Then I'll stay."

Neo nodded. Closing her eyes she sent her thoughts to her godfather and prayed he answered immediately.

 _"Godfather!" Neo appeared in their dream world. The tree they usually sat at stood tall and proud like always. She waited. The seconds ticked painfully slow. Then he appeared. Her heart pounded with joy as she ran to him and hugged him. "Thank, God! Godfather! I'm so glad you answered me!"_

 _"Neo, what is it? Why are you so upset?" Shanks asked, his arm wrapped around her shoulders._

 _"I've been kidnapped," Neo said._

 _"What?!" Shanks eyes grew sharp with anger. "Where are you?! Where's your crew?!"_

 _"I think they're on Brazen Island still," Neo said. "It's a long story but I was taken by mistake."_

 _Shanks listened intently as she explained the whole thing as quick as she possibly could. "I see. So you're on Ivy Island. I'm very familiar with the place."_

 _"Please tell me some of my people are traveling with you right now," Neo said._

 _"They are," Shanks said. "We'll head over to Brazen Island right now. You just get a message to that lover boy of yours not to leave there."_

 _Neo nodded._

 _"Take care of yourself." Shanks kissed her forehead. "We'll be there as soon as we can. Go now."_

 _Neo nodded again. She hugged him once more before allowing herself to be pulled away from him._

Back in her real body, Neo kept her eyes closed so Polaris wouldn't know any different. She projected herself to Law. _She found him inside of their room with his knees wrapped around his knees beside her large stuffed bear._ _'Law.'_

"Neo!" Law pushed himself off the floor and wrapped his arms around her. "I was so worried about you! Where have you been?!"

 _'I'm so sorry. I've been sleeping these past three days. I only woke up a little while ago. My magic is being suppressed by some magic talisman. I wasn't able to project myself to you until now.'_

"Are you safe? You are safe, aren't you?" Law held her at arms length and scanned his eyes over her.

 _'I am. I'm with someone I can trust. Listen to me, Godfather is coming for you.'_

"What? Why?"

 _'I'm on an island that's part of his territory. Elementals are with him now. They're coming to get you then bring you here.'_

"I don't understand," Law said.

 _'I know. These people want Eira. She's supposed to use some ice talisman to freeze over the planet. But they're going to have me do it now since the talisman reaches to me as well. I know it's confusing, but I'll find out more when I can.' She stroked his cheek. 'How are you doing?'_

"I'm worried about you. That's how I'm doing." Law took her hand and placed a kiss into it. "Eira won't talk still."

 _'She doesn't have to.' Neo wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him. 'Please, just get here as soon as you can. I think I'm safe for now.'_

"I promise I'll come as quickly as I can." Law tightened his arms around her. "Just stay safe. They're going to pay for taking you away from me."

 _'I have to go now. I don't have much time.' Neo looked up at him._

Law nodded then leaned down and kissed her.

Tears rolled down Neo's cheeks as she forced herself to disappear from him. Back in her _new room_ she brushed the tears from her face.

"You going to be all right?" Polaris asked.

"I will be." Neo nodded. "I got a hold of both Law and my godfather. They'll be here as soon as they can."

"Good," Polaris said. "I better go set everything back to normal before we're discovered."

Neo watched him go. She wished she had more time to talk to her godfather and Law and figure out how quickly they would have been able to get here. She assumed it would be sometime tomorrow. She would just have to be patient and wait.

...

 **Author's Notes: It's going to end suddenly but I think the next chapter will be the last.**


	16. Magic & Children

Magic & Children

Neo picked at her cinnamon oatmeal. Constantly, even throughout the night, she searched for Law to see if he was getting closer to her or not. He wasn't. She didn't even know if Law and Shanks had met up yet. Her eyes dropped to the circles on her wrists. Her desire to try and escape was strong, overwhelming. But she knew it was impossible. Still, she wanted to try it at some point, just to make sure. She flicked her eyes to her two hosts down at the other end of the table. They were, just like yesterday, kissing and touching each other like they couldn't get enough of one another. It made her wonder if she was this bad with Law. She didn't believe they were. These two seemed out of control. They seemed to be lusting after each other instead of being in love.

"Neo," Neve said.

Neo jumped. Heat rushed to her face as she dropped her eyes back to her plate.

"We're going out this morning," Neve said. "I think it's time we got to know each other a little better."

Andri slammed his hand down on the table, rattling the dishes. "My lover spoke to you! I will not tolerate you being so rude! Answer her!"

"I heard her," Neo said lifting her head. "And I do not have to address her if I do not feel like it. I am not here of my own free will. You pulled me here."

"You insolent little brat!" Andri stood.

Neo held firm but cringed on the inside. She probably should have kept quiet since she didn't have proper use of her crystals. Those words just came tumbling out of her. Perhaps she has spent a little too much time around Law and the crew. A smile threated to cross over her lips. Law would love to hear how she's being with these two. Or part of him would be. The other part would think she was being a bit stupid with her magic being suppressed. She was going to have to be careful on what she said from this point on.

"Settle, my dear." Neve placed her hand on his wrist. "At least she is more respectful than Icy was."

"That brat." Andri plopped down in his chair. "I should horse whip her for what she's done."

Neo furrow her eyebrows and gripped her fists tightly. Anger grew inside of her, though she wasn't exactly sure why. The though of Eira being horse whipped just didn't settle right with her, even if the snow leopard was a bit unruly and rude.

"I'm sure our sweet little house guest here will be more understanding after we have our little walk," Neve said.

It unsettled Neo when Andri suddenly grew calm. A secretive glance passed between them that were colder than the ice inside of the house.

"Very well," Andri said. "I'll leave that part up to you."

"Thank you," Neve said. "You won't regret it."

"I'm sure I won't." Andri smiled.

Neo turned back to finish up her meal. She'd know soon enough what's going on with them two. And she was sure she wouldn't like it.

"Shall we go?" Neve stood from her chair and headed for the living room. There a female Keeper was holding a shoulder pack and handed it to the woman.

Placing her fork down, Neo stood and followed her. She caught a glimpse of Polaris as she walked through the living room. She hoped he would give her some clue as to what this walk was about, but he just gave her a sympathetic look before she disappeared outside. The wind howled upon their exit from the building, but the storm had stopped. Pain slammed into her body and soul. The entire island was crying out in pain from being so cold. She gripped her chest. "It hurts."

"What's the matter, Neo?" Neve asked. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"No," Neo said, cutting herself off before she could say that it was nature that was hurting. As far as she could tell these people didn't know about her Elemental nature. She was going to keep it that way as long as she could. "I'm all right."

"Then let's go." Neve turned and walked away from her.

Neo took a slow deep breath before following after the woman. She eyed the path they were walking on. It was clear that someone had come out here and dug a path for them. She hoped they didn't do it during the storm. She had been preoccupied with what was going on inside that she didn't even notice the storm had stopped. Her eyes then lifted up to Neve's back. The woman didn't seem to feel cold at all.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm not cold," Neve said.

Neo jumped, so did her heart. Did this woman have the ability to read her mind? "Um, yes?"

Neve chuckled and tossed Neo a glance. "There's no need for you to be scared or so timid. Lots of people have wondered that."

"Yes, I have," Neo said.

"I knew it." Neve continued to walk for several more minutes without answering the question.

Neo took the time to look around. All she could really see was snow and ice. A couple small and narrow mountains were at four spots near the edges of the island. Connecting to nature, she found that they were at least two miles from the closest shore and the ice covering the ocean when out about a mile before it ended. Polaris was right. There would have been no way for her to get on the pirate ship last night, unless her two captors were close range fighters. She still had to learn about that. She also noticed some strange structures all over the island as far as she could see. Some were trees and bushes, dead now but trees and bushes nonetheless. Other's she had no clue what they were. They didn't appear to be part of nature at all. They all were different shapes and size. Houses maybe? She did feel some wood inside of them. Where there other people here?

"Here we are," Neve then said.

Neo looked up to find they had ended up in what appeared to be some kind of garden. A small round fountain was in the middle of the place, the spouting water frozen in place. Several frozen benches were scattered around, as well as more of those strange ice sculptures. There were some even smaller here that almost looked dog like. Her stomach sank at the thought. She kneaded her eyebrows and looked at the other sculptures. Upon a closer look they appeared to be almost human shaped.

"Are you ready to hear what I have to say?" Neve asked.

Neo turned her eyes to Neve. The woman had placed herself down on one of the benches. The ice melted and hit the ground. She swallowed. She was no longer sure if she was ready to hear this. A strong desire to run filled her body. Still she stayed right where she was. "Tell me. I want to know."

"It's a rather long story," Neve said. "It starts with my birth. You see I was born with a gift." She placed her hand over her heart. Her skin began to glow and she removed her hand. A glowing flame appeared on her chest. "This is the fire talisman. I was born with this inside of me. Legend has it that if you are born with a talisman you are both blessed and curse." She snarled. "I say it's nothing but a curse. A curse that killed my mother when I was born."

"It killed your mother?" Neo heard herself asked.

"It did." Neve nodded. "The doctors tried to tell me that I was wrong. That my mother was just too weak and ill to have survived the pains of childbirth, but I know the truth. I was the one who killed her."

"Maybe you didn't," Neo said. "I know a lot of women die in childbirth."

"Do not try and persuade me!" Neve hissed. "I know the truth! No amount of lies will change that!"

Neo clamped her mouth shut. She had no actual proof, which way it happened.

"Anyway, growing up I was loved and even worshiped," Neve continued. "But then one day I lost control over my talisman. I burned a child to death. I was hated and feared after that. I was losing control. No one wanted me around. My own father drugged me and set me adrift in a small boat."

Neo just stood there. Part of her wanted to believe what Neve was saying, but something about this story didn't feel right. Emotion appeared to be missing from Neve's eyes and voice. It was almost like the woman was talking about the weather rather than some traumatic event of her past.

"No one appeared to want me no matter where I went or how I tried to help when someone was in danger," Neve said. "That is until Andri found me. We fell in love. And we want to have a child. However, the fire talisman continued to be cruel. I am unable to conceive a child because of it. My body is far too hot for the sperm to survive." She placed her hand on her stomach. Her eyes softened. "I want nothing more than to be a mother. To prove that I'm better than people think." She looked up. "All women want children. Don't you?"

"Actually, no," Neo said.

"Why not?" Neve frowned.

"Because we live the life of pirates," Neo said. "Having a child would only put them in danger of being targeted and killed by the Navy. I can't put a child through all of that."

"Stupid choice," Neve said. "You should have a child anyway. They are such a joy to have."

Neo shifted on her feet. Something clearly wasn't right about this woman.

"So Andri did a little searched on magic and talismans," Neve continued. "He found out about the Keepers and this island then brought me here. And we got luck. An ice talisman was here. Icy was in control of it."

"Icy? You mean Eira?" Neo asked.

"Don't call her that!" Neve snapped. "Her name is Icy! We named her that because she became a child to us! It's the horrible Polaris who chose to call her that stupid name and it's his fault that she's gone now! We did everything for her and running off is her way of paying us back?! The ungrateful brat!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Anyway, we sent the Keepers out to bring her back home. Instead they brought you."

Neo shivered. She was starting to get a better idea of why Eira has such issues with family and why she ran away.

"But it matters not." Neve reached into her bag and pulled out something that was glowing an icy blue.

Neo's eyes widened upon seeing what the woman held. It was identical to the tattoo Eira wore on her back. She could feel the ice magic radiating from it. The icy blue glow flowed over to her and engulfed her body in it.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Neve smiled. She eyed the glow around Neo hungrily. "This little thing is what's going to let us have a baby. This will freeze the world so cold that I'll be able to conceive." She glanced up at Neo. "And you're going to help with that."

Neo's heart pounded in her chest and her head. Her body shivered at the hungry look in Neve's eyes. Something about this was just wrong. "I won't."

"Excuse me?" Neve frowned.

"This island is suffering because of the irregular weather here," Neo said.

"And how do you know that?" Neve listed her head.

"I can feel it," Neo said, careful not to reveal too much. "And what about the animal and people? They would never survive temperatures like this."

"You are doing just fine," Neve said. "Though that is a bit curious. The others didn't seem to far as well as you are."

"Others?" Neo's eyes roamed back to the odd ice sculptures around them. No way they could be people. It's not possible.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Neve asked waving her hand to one of the structures.

Neo didn't move. She wanted to know but she didn't want to know. Her feet moved her forward. Reach out with a trembling hand, she swiped away some of the snow on the figure. Her blood turned to ice. She gasped and jumped away. It was a frozen person, their face frozen in fear. Her eyes dropped down to the dog like shape near the human. This island use to be warm, like Polaris said. All the people and the animals that once lived here was now dead. Her stomach turned. Rushing away, she bent over a frozen bench and lost her breakfast.

"You have a weak stomach for a pirate," Neve said.

Neo heaved. "How…how could you? All these animals…all of these people…"

"I will do anything to have a child," Neve said.

"This is wrong," Neo said, tears streamed down her face. "No wonder this place hurts so much. It's grieving the loss of its…" She gritted her teeth. "You're going to pay for this. You murdered them all."

"I did no such thing," Neve said. "If you want to blame someone then you should blame Icy. She's the one who controls the ice talisman."

"And you're the one who made her!" Neo leaped up, the glow remained around her body. Summoning her crystals, she lifted as much snow and ice up as she could and hurled it at Neve. She gritted her teeth as Neve walked through her attack then threw a fire-engulfed punch at her. Jerking to her left, Neo managed to dodge the attack.

"I didn't make her do anything!" Neve followed Neo, through fireballs at her.

Neo threw several blasts of wind, snow, and ice at the woman before launching herself into the air.

"Interesting abilities you have," Neve said. "They almost seem magical."

"They're from a Devil Fruit!" Neo lied. Bringing together her wind and water crystals, she formed a massive ice ball and tossed it at Neve. She wasn't surprised at all when Neve easily melted it. She had no idea if she actually had a move that would work against her. Her plants would just die. She couldn't fight fire with fire. Her wind crystals could only change the direction of the flames or put them out. And her water would either just freeze or evaporate.

"You're not going to win this," Neve said. "So come on back down and we'll forget this ever happened."

Neo's eyes landed on the ice talisman. That might work but she had no idea how to use it. Bringing her water and wind crystals back together she formed a large ice spear and hurled it at Neve. Fire flared up around it before shooting back up at her. She winced when fire singed her skin. Her crystals started to fade and she dropped to the ground.

"Foolish child," Neve said walking over to her with a harsh glare. "You're not strong enough to defeat me. I am fire."

Neo forced herself not to roll her eyes. Neve wasn't fire. Neve only had control over fire. _She_ was fire. Or she could be if she had more than five minutes of magic to use. She held her burnt arm against her body. She should have taken control of the fire and remained unharmed by it. Law was going to be furious that she allowed herself to get hurt. Wincing at the pain, she watched Neve walk passed her, pick up the ice talisman, walk back over to her, and toss it at her.

"Start learning how to use this," Neve said, her eyes cold as the world around them. "You'll start freezing the rest of the world tomorrow. That should give you enough time to figure out how to use it. I'm sure Polaris would be more than willing to explain how to use it to you."

Neo watched as the woman walked away. She turned her eyes down to her arm. Her arm was burnt. She couldn't tell exactly how bad it was. She tried to summon her solar crystal. It flickered before fading. "I hope I can use my magic again soon. I'd rather not have Law see my arm like this."

Forcing herself to her feet, grabbed the talisman, and she headed back to the house. That pain ran up and down her arm with each step she took until she dropped to her knees.

"Neo, are you all right?" Polaris asked, his eyes locking onto the glow around her body.

"Where did you come from?" Neo asked. "What are you staring at?"

"The house. I told you we're fast." Polaris looked at her burnt arm. "Let me help you back to the house. I have something that can help heal that."

"Okay." Neo nodded while wondering why he didn't answer her second question. She jumped when Polaris put his arm around her.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No," Neo said. "I'm just not use to strangers touching me."

"Of course," Polaris said. "Sorry I forgot about that."

"It's fine," Neo said letting him help her stand up. "I trust you."

"Let us be off then," Polaris said.

Neo nodded as he grabbed the ice talisman and helped her back to the house. Coming closer upon the building, she hoped that Neve and Andri was nowhere in sight when they got inside.

"Don't worry. They'll be in their room entertaining themselves with each other," Polaris said.

"You're really good at guessing what I'm thinking," Neo said.

"I had lots of practice with Eira," Polaris said.

"Is it true that you named her?" Neo asked.

"I did." Polaris nodded. Reaching the house another Keeper opened the door for them and they headed right to Neo's current room.

Neo was grateful for the heat of the fire once they got back into the room. She carefully pulled her coat off and sat down at the table. "I will be able to use my magic again, right?"

"Of course." Polaris placed the ice talisman on the table then took Neo's coat and boots and returned them to the closet. Coming back he pulled the other chair closer to her. "It'll return in an hour."

"Good," Neo said. "I can use my solar crystal on this then."

"This will help until then." Polaris pulled a small crystal shaped in a leaf out of his pocket. He placed it over the burn and said, "Healing Haven."

Neo watched as the leaf began to glow a soft green. The glow flowed over her burn, taking some of the pain away and healing the scar about halfway. "What is that?"  
"It's a healing talisman," Polaris replied. "There are hundreds of thousands of talismans in this world. It's our job as Keepers to watch over the talismans and bring them here when the humans abuse them."

"What about someone like Neve?" Neo asked.

"There's not much we can do about someone like her," Polaris said. The talisman stopped glow, he shoved it back into his pocket and examined her injury. "The elder will have more answers for you. I think it's best for him to explain it more. He's going to come to see you tonight."

"The elder?" Neo asked.

"He's the one who knows all of the secrets of the talismans," Polaris whispered. " _They_ do not know he's still alive." He sat back and lifted his voice. "How does your arm feel?"

"Better," Neo said. "It'll be fine once I can use my solar crystal."

"You should stay in here for the rest of the day," Polaris said.

"No argument from me," Neo said. "Neve said she wanted me to use that talisman. She said you would tell me how to use it."

"I could, but I suspect that you can use it in a different way," Polaris said.

"What do you mean?" Neo asked.

"Normally, a person who uses a talisman says a few words to invoke its magic," Polaris said. "But this talisman is different from normal ones. It wasn't created the normal way." He picked it up and examined it like he's never seen it before. "The elder will tell you more."

"Why are you keeping so many secrets?" Neo asked. "I can tell you know more than you're telling me."

"I'm sorry," Polaris said. "I really want to tell you everything, but I don't want to make the mistake of having Neve and Andri overhear. Plus I'm not exactly sure that my suspicions are correct."

"Then I guess it's safe to assume you won't tell me why I'm glowing along with the talisman," Neo said.

"Just be patient a little bit longer," Polaris said. "Everything will be clear soon."

Neo dropped her eyes to the talisman. Her heart squeezed. It was just another reminder that she wasn't with Law.

"You're meals will be brought to you," Polaris said as he left the room.

Sighing, Neo sat back in the chair and watched the ice talisman share its glow with her. After half an hour she moved over to the bed and curled up. The day had stressed her out. She didn't know which was worse the stuff that happened to her on Luminous or the stuff that was happening here. Her eyes drift closed to the sight of Law's ring.

…

Basil sighed heavily as he placed roast beef slices onto the bread slices he had laid out over the counter. His mind was going over and over the day Neo was taken away from them. Having only been with the crew for a short while he had no idea how much he would miss the innocence Neo brought to the sub.

"Amazing how much things change when she's not here, huh?"

Basil looked up to see Shachi walk into the room. "I don't get how you all kept your sanity in tack when she was taken away from you before. I feel so helpless. It's not a feeling I'm use to having."

"None of us are use to feeling like this," Shachi said.

"So how's Penguin doing?" Basil asked.

"He's still holding up on his bunk," Shachi said looking at the half made sandwiches.

"I thought I'm make lunch," Basil said. "Though I know the crew won't care much about eating."

"At least we got word from her that she's all right," Shachi said.

"Is the captain feeling better?" Basil asked. "Where is he anyway?"  
"Outside on the deck," Shachi said. "He's training while waiting for Red Hair to show up."

"How much longer?" Basil asked.

"It's hard to tell," Shachi said. "Neo didn't get much details on where Red Hair and his crew was. But Elementals can travel as fast as hurricanes. So depending on where they are and how many wind Elementals are sailing with him, it could be anytime or a few days."

"Ah! He's here!" Bepo's voice ran into the galley before his body did. "He's here! He's here!"

"Who's here?" Shachi asked.

"Red Hair Shanks!" Bepo shrieked.

The pirates bolted for the door. Their boots thundered on the wooden floor as they made their way up and out onto the main deck. There the large ship of the Emperor was sailing in the air right towards them at striking speed. Within seconds the ship was right beside them.

"Finally!" Penguin said as he ran out onto the deck.

They watched as the red haired man jumped from his ship and landed perfectly on the deck, rocking the vessel.

Shanks stood up straight. "Sorry we're late. We picked up a few more wind Elementals on the way. We're heading out right this second."

Law nodded in acceptance.

"Do you have the girl?" Shanks asked.

"She's in the brig," Law replied.

"I want to see her," Shanks said.

Law watched the Elementals lift the two ships into the air before leading the Emperor into the sub and down into the brig with Penguin and Topaz following.

"What are you going to do?" Topaz asked when they all just stood there in the silence.

"Get her to talk," Shanks said. "Unlock the door."

Penguin and Topaz looked over at Law. When their captain nodded, Topaz pulled the key from her pocket. She was giving the key since she was less likely to go into the cell and hurt Eira. She opened the door then stepped away.

Shanks walked in. He sat down in front of Eira, his eyes examining her bruises and broken fingers. "You really do live up to your cruel reputation, Surgeon of Death. I'm actually surprised you haven't done more to her than this."

Law growled. "You would have done exactly the same."

"Probably," Shanks said. "Topaz?"

"Yes?" Topaz asked.

"Please go have one of the wind Elementals tell my doctor I want him over here in fifteen minutes," Shanks said.

"Sure thing." Topaz left the room.

"Why?" Penguin asked his voice filled with venom. "She doesn't deserve help."

"Perhaps it only appears like that," Shanks said. "We'll know the truth soon enough. If you want to stay you can. After all this is your ship. I'm just a guest."

Law leaned back against the wall. "I'm not leaving."

"Neither am I," Penguin said.

"Eira, is it?" Shanks asked.

Eira lifted her eyes to him.

"Well, that's a surprise," Shanks said. "You have Neo's eyes."

Eira frowned. "Why must everyone point that out?"

"Why don't you tell me who you are?" Shanks replied.

Eira growled but said nothing.

"You're from Ivy Island, correct?" Shanks asked. "That's an island within my territory. But I'm sure you're aware of that. After all you've attacked my division ships."

"What are you saying?" Penguin asked.

"Around the past two years, there have been some odd happenings going on over at Ivy Island," Shanks said. "A once beautiful lush island was completely iced over. And as far as I know, everyone there is dead."

Eira flinched. Her bangs fell over her face.

"I've tried several times to get my men on that island yet they always came back defeated, some even dead," Shanks said. "Eira, listen to me. We're heading to Ivy Island right now."

"What?!" Eira lifted her eyes to him.

"We're going to get all the answers whether or not you want to speak," Shanks said. "It's your choice. You can either tell us now or later."

Eira dropped her eyes back to the floor.

"Just tell us what's going on there, Eira," Shanks said. "We're going to find out the truth very soon."

Eira gritted her teeth and clenched her fists before relaxing. "Neve and Andri want to freeze over the planet so Neve can have a baby."

"What?" Penguin asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Neve was born with a fire talisman inside of her. Her body is constantly hot," Eira said. "They came to the island about two years or so ago. They took me in and used me for my own magic."

"So you've been the one freezing my crew," Shanks said.

"That's right," Eira said. "I also killed all those who lived on the island."

"How could you do such a thing?" Penguin asked.

"Kind of hypocritical coming from pirates." Eira looked up at the hatted man.

"No, it's not," Penguin said. "We haven't and don't kill the innocent. What did those people do to you for you to kill them?"

"Absolutely nothing," Eira said. "Neve and Andri told me it was the right thing to do because to was for them and that if I loved them I would do it for them. The Keepers tried to get me to stop but I wouldn't listen. I wanted to believe Neve and Andri really cared for me. I was wrong."

"Keepers?" Law asked.

"They're the one's who took Neo," Eira said. "They were after me."

"Keepers are also not human," Shanks said. "They run around the world collecting talismans that people are misusing and abusing."

"So you knew about them?" Penguin asked.

"They are in my territory." Shanks looked over his shoulder at Penguin before turning back to Eira.

"It was actually Polaris who brought it to my attention that what I was doing was wrong," Eira said. "That was about the same time my Death Memories were getting worse. I have no reason or excuses for what I did to that island. Most of it I don't really remember."

"You expect us to believe that?" Law growled. "You're at least nineteen years old. You should have no problem remembering what happened in those two years."

"Actually, I have no idea how old I am," Eira said.

"What do you mean?" Shanks asked.

"I only have a few memories of these past two years that are actually mine," Eira said. "The rest are the Death Memories."

"Why should we believe that?" Penguin asked.

"What reason would I have for lying about my age?" Eira asked.

"Well, you could…" Penguin trailed off.

"See? There is no reason," Eira said. "If you want to know more then you'll have to talk to the Keepers. They know everything that happens on Ivy."

"And so we shall." Shanks stood up and stepped out of the cell just as his doctor came inside. "Fix up her wounds." He looked at Law. "Unless you have objections to that."

"Do what you wish," Law said.

Shanks nodded to the young captain then at his own doctor before heading out of the brig.

"Do you think she was telling the truth?" Penguin asked once they were out in the hall.

"I see no reason for her to lie now, especially since we're on our way to Ivy Island right now," Shanks said.

"We still don't have the entire story," Law said.

"We will," Shanks said. "Just be a little patient."

Law gripped his sheath hard.

Shanks smiled. "Just think of Neo. I'm sure she'll want you to keep a cool, clear head."

Law relaxed. Shanks did have a point.

"So how long will it take for us to get to Ivy Island?" Penguin asked.

"Well, I have sixty wind Elementals with me," Shanks said. "So only a couple hours."

"That quick?!" Penguin smiled. "That's amazing! I so love Elementals!"

"This fight might not be as easy as you think," Shanks said. "The Keepers have rounded up quite a collection of talismans. We have no idea how many Neve and Andri have under their control."

"We'll do what we have to and get Neo back," Law said.

"Of course we will," Shanks said. "And I'm sure Neo will do what she can on her side of this."

…

Hugging her knees, Neo waited for Polaris to return. Since her little run in with Neve earlier in the day she had done as Polaris asked and stayed in the room. During that time she used what little time she had to heal her arm with her solar crystal. Dinner had been brought to her almost three hours ago but not by him. She had no idea when Polaris would come. She hoped that he didn't get caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. She wondered if he was putting a sleeping potion in Neve and Andri's drinks again. But he never said he was going to do that. Looking to the window it was hard to tell what time it was. The world outside always was dark here. She watched the snow falling for thirty more minutes before heading some shuffling outside her door. Then a light knock came before Polaris entered. "I was getting worried."

"Sorry," Polaris said closing the door. "It took a little longer to get to the elder because of the storm. But he is ready to meet you. Are you ready?"

"I think so." Neo crawled off the bed and walked over to him. "Where is he?"

"We're going to him," Polaris said.

"But I can't get too far from Neve and Andri," Neo said.

"You won't." Polaris walked over to the fireplace. Going to its left side he pressed something that Neo couldn't see. The fireplace shifted and slid to the right. A hidden door appeared behind it, lit up by yellow glowing orbs. "There are many hidden secrets on this island. Would you grab the ice talisman?"

"Apparently," Neo said. She grabbed the talisman off the table before following after Polaris. Walking down the stairs she eyed the stonewalls. They were decorated with illustrations of the Keepers doing various tasks of finding and bring back talismans to cultivating the island and helping the humans who lived here. "So you lived here peacefully with humans?"

"We did." Polaris nodded. "At least until they were killed."

"Frozen solid," Neo said. "I know. I saw one out there. The animals were killed as well, weren't they? And it was done by Eira."

"It was," Polaris whispered.

Neo wanted to ask him more but didn't. She could feel his regret radiating off of him. They had reached the end of the stairs. Several doors were in the circular cavern they stepped into. "A maze?"

"Not really," Polaris said. "Each door leads to somewhere else on the island." He pointed to the one on the far right. "We're going through that one. A lot of them lead to caverns were the talismans are held. We put them down here so it would be harder for people to find them."

Neo continued to follow him. A minute later they entered into a living room of sorts. Large, colorful pillows were piled in a circle around one dark purple one. Sitting in the dark purple pillow was an old Keeper. His long grey hair was pulled back into a thin ponytail. His matching beard tapered off to a point that reminded her of Atlas and sent a shiver up her spine. She didn't want to be reminded of the man who betrayed her home and her parents. It was put at ease when she looked into the Keeper's face. His skin was full of wrinkles but very kind and gentle. And his eyes were soft and kind but full of secrets and wonder. She reminded herself that this was not Atlas. Atlas was dead.

"Oh, so you are glowing in sync with the ice talisman. Come sit, my child." The elder waved his hand to the pillow right in front of him. "We have much to talk about."

Neo swallowed but walked forward and sat down as instructed. Placing the talisman gently in her lap, she waited patiently for the old Keeper to speak.

"It's been some time since I've seen an Elemental," he said.

"Polaris said you all know about us," Neo said.

"Indeed we do," he said. "Many times Elementals have come to stop on this island, even a few lived here long ago, and Shanks' crew use to stop here all the time. But there will be time later for that. I'm sure you have lots of questions that need to be answered."

Neo nodded.

The elder stroked his beard. "Well, it actually starts with you and your lover."

"You know about Law?" Neo asked.

"So his name is Law?" The elder said. "Interesting indeed."

Neo looked over at Polaris. The Keeper had sat down in the pillow beside her. She brought her eyes back to the elder. "What's going on?"

"To put it bluntly, young one," the elder said. "It's you and your lover's fault this island is in this mess that it is."

"Excuse me?" Neo asked.

"Elder, please," Polaris said. "She's not use to your teasing. Do just get to the point."

The elder laughed. "Apologies."

"Forgive the elder," Polaris said. "He enjoys teasing people."

Neo glanced at Polaris then the elder. "Could you please tell me why this is our fault?"

"Because you two created Eira," the elder said. "She is your magical love child."

Heat rushed to Neo's cheeks. Her heart slammed against her chest. "What?! But we're not…we haven't…I'm not allow to…"

"Calm down, young one," the elder said. "This type of child doesn't come from sexual intercourse. It comes from the bond that you two have come to have."

Neo placed her hand over her heart. She took a moment to claim herself down before saying, "Could you please explain?"

"It might be difficult to understand as magic often is, but basically when you two bonded you created Eira," the elder said. "We not quite sure how exactly it happened as this is the only the second time a talisman had been born from a bond between a magical and a nonmagical. The first time happened centuries ago. And some of those records have been lost. But our best guess is that when you two bonded it created a spark that resulted in the ice talisman."

"The ice talisman? But you said Eira was born," Neo said.

"They are one in the same," the elder said. "The ice talisman appeared here to us then within a short amount of time a baby snow leopard appeared with it. Then a few days later that snow leopard grew to have a human like form."

"Baby snow leopard," Neo said. "I guess that was the one I saw on the sub."

"Most likely," the elder said. "Eira's magic is a bit unstable because she doesn't really know who she is. And it didn't help her when Neve and Andri came into her life."

"What did they do to her?" Neo asked.

"They manipulated her basically," the elder said. "They tried to act like they cared around her and told her they would be her parents if she did as they were told. Eira, being as confused as she was, believed them and froze the island. With her under their control and with Neve's fire talisman we really didn't stand a chance against them. We fought as best we could but Neve and Andri eventually took over. We faked my death and I've been in hiding ever since."

"Why did you fake your death?" Neo asked.

"Because the elder of our people are the keepers of all of the secrets of the talismans," the elder said. "Currently I hold all of those secrets until I its time for me to pass on. After that Polaris will gain all of the secrets and become the new elder. If Neve and Andri were to get their hands on these secrets the entire world would be in more of a threat than it is right now."

"I'm almost afraid to ask why," Neo said.

"It's taken Eira these past two years to freeze as much as she has," Polaris said. "If Neve and Andri knew that there is a magnification talisman then they would have been able to quadruple that in just a year."

"I see," Neo said.

"We can't tell you all of our secrets," the elder said.

"You don't have to," Neo said. "I have my own fair share of secrets I'd like to keep."

"Then you understand. Good." The elder nodded.

"Can you tell me more about Eira's magic? She has some abilities that can't technically be magic," Neo said.

"I'm assuming you're talking about the Devil Fruits?" the elder asked.

"Yes." Neo nodded. "She has the ability to warp herself like Law does."

"The magic from your bond must have absorbed some of his Devil Fruit powers," the elder said. "And because of that she wouldn't be able to use all of his powers. She would be far too powerful for that. It's just a balance."

"I think I understand," Neo said.

"You two should be able to sense her," the elder said. "At least for a while. After that you shouldn't be able to sense her because she's basically you two. And the same goes for her."

"I guess that would explain why this talisman is so similar to Law's tattoo," Neo said holding the talisman up. She then showed them the ring on her finger. "The design is even on his ring."

"That would be my guess," the elder said. "Your magic must have just created that image because it's important to you both."

"So what about Neve?" Neo asked before telling them what Neve told her outside.

"We Keepers always keep a close eye on those born with talismans," the elder said. "Neve was no different. The truth is her mother died in childbirth. She was indeed sick and couldn't handle it. It was not because of the talisman. The Keepers who looked after her tried to help her cope with the loss of her mother but sometimes things just don't work out like you want them to. Neve just kept going deeper and deeper into the darkness. People like that often look for someone who's like them. She found that in Andri. And here we are."  
"I'm sorry," Neo said. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's not your fault, Neo," Polaris said.

"Of course it's not," the elder said. "No one knew something like this would happen even though one has been born before like this."

"I understand now why Eira was so confused and hurt by our memories," Neo said. "She hasn't really had the chance to make her own." She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. A small familiar tick appeared in the back of her mind. "Law's coming."

"Are you sure?" Polaris asked.

"I am." Neo nodded. "I know this is going to be a lot to ask, but can you all help us?"

"What do you need us to do?" the elder asked.

"Take away as many talismans you can from Neve and Andri," Neo said. "How many do they have control of anyway?"

"Around eighty," Polaris said. "But most they don't use and they will be easily stolen. They have their own preference on using a certain few."

"Good," Neo said.

"You must remember, young one, that our people are not fighters," the elder said.

"I am aware of that," Neo said. "And I give you my word that I will keep you all safe. Is it possible to bring all the Keepers down to this area?"  
The elder hummed and stroked his beard. "It might be a tight fit, but I believe it's possible. A lot of us are still away from Ivy Island keeping close watch over talismans. Some are not away of what's going on here."

"What can be done about these?" Neo lifted her hands up to show her restraints.

"Those can only be taken off by the bracelets Neve and Andri are wearing," Polaris said. "The only way you'll get close enough is to knock them out."

"That will be done," Neo said. "Law won't stand for what they've done to me."

"He's very protective of you," the elder said.

Neo blushed and nodded. "He is."

"I think I should go with you," Polaris said.

"Why?" Neo asked.

"They're going to use me against Eira in anyway they can," Polaris said. "They might try and tell her I'm dead. She needs to see me."

"That is not wise, Polaris," the elder said.

"I know, but I have to see her," Polaris said.

"He'll be kept safe," Neo said.

"Very well then," the elder said. "You all should get to work now. I'll stay here with the rest of the Keepers."

"Keep safe, Elder," Polaris said.

Neo picked up the talisman from her lap, stood up, and then followed Polaris back up to the room.

"What will you do now?" Polaris asked as the fireplace slid back into place.

"I'll keep an eye on how close Law and my godfather are getting," Neo said. "I know they'll come right to me when they get here. Hurry and get everything on your end done. I'm not sure when they'll get here. But if I know my godfather, he's gathered enough wind Elementals to get them here as quickly as they can."

"Understood." Polaris nodded and left the room.

Neo shivered at the cold rush coming into the room when the door opened and closed. She hugged the talisman to her chest and sat down at the table. Time passed painfully slow for her. But with each passing second she could feel Law and Shanks getting closer and closer. _'Law, please answer me.'_

 _'I hear you, love.'_

Neo's heart skipped a beat. Tears streamed down her cheeks. _'Law…'_

 _'I know. I've missed you too. We're close, my love. Just hold on a little bit longer.'_

 _'I know. I can sense you and Godfather. I'm located basically in the middle of the island. The Keepers here are taking away as many talismans from Neve and Andri as they can. They're not fighters though. They're going into hiding, but for Polaris who's a friend of Eira's. Oh, the Keepers are-'_

 _'I know. Red Hair told us about them and got Eira talking.'_

 _'That's good, but there's something you need to know.'_

 _'What's that?'_

 _'It's kind of hard to explain but Eira is a result of our bond.'_

 _'What?'_

 _'Eira was born because of us.'_ Heat rose on her cheeks. _'She's…she's our magical love child.'_ Silence passed between them. _'Law?'_

 _'I'm here. I'm just having trouble processing what you just said.'_

 _'I know. I just found out about it a little while ago myself.'_

 _'We'll talk about it later. Right now I just want you back by my side.'_

 _'I know. But I can't leave here. I'm wearing talismans on my wrists that keep me close to Neve and Andri. We need the talismans they're wearing to set me free. So I'm afraid I can't fight. The talisman suppresses my magic to only five minutes.'_

 _'Okay. Don't worry about fighting. We'll take care of that.'_

 _'Also, Polaris will be coming with me. He wants to see Eira so she'll know he's alive.'_

 _'All right. We'll be there soon. Topaz and the other Elementals are already working on getting up onto the island without being detected. I'll see you soon.'_

 _'Good.'_ Neo sighed and waited for them to arrive.

…

"We're almost there," Shanks said just as Law walked out onto the deck. Several other pirates were out there among them was Eira.

"Are you sure about letting her loose?" Shachi asked.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Eira said. "But I do have a friend on that island that I want to rescue."

"You didn't seem to care about him before," Shachi said.

Eira glared at him and shifted back to her snow leopard form.

"Enough," Shanks said. "We don't need fights among ourselves."

"Neo's waiting for us," Law said. "She's fixed it where the Keepers will be in a safe place while the fight happens. And they're taking as many talismans away from Neve and Andri as possible."

"That won't matter," Eira said. "Neve doesn't need any other talisman. She's strong enough with her fire one. Way stronger than any of you."

Ignoring her, Law said, "Neo's magic is being suppressed by a talisman. She won't be able to help us fight until we get them off of her."

"I see," Shanks said. "Then it's possible that your Devil Fruit won't be able to help her."

"Why's that?" Basil asked.

"Magic often works on a different level from Devil Fruit powers," Shanks said. "Eira is actually going to be our best bet on stopping Neve's fire talisman."

Everyone looked at her with doubt. She glared. "Shut up! I didn't ask to be here!"

Law flinched at her words. She had a point. She was only here because of himself and Neo. Still, it was hard to see how this girl was their love child. But now it all made sense. They way she looked like them, acted like them, has their abilities, and their memories. He wanted to but he couldn't deny who she was. She was their child. Guilt, a little bit, hit him for how he had treated her.

"The island is drawing near, Captain," Topaz said.

"Then proceed," Law ordered.

Topaz nodded. Moving closer to the front of the sub, she summoned twenty fire crystals and moved them down to the water. Heating the water up as much as possible, steam started rise up. The wind Elementals gathered the steam around and pushed it in front of them.

Law shifted on his feet. His eyes scanned around his crew. They all stood ready to fight, most of all Penguin. "Everyone is to stay back."

"What?!" Penguin demanded.

"You all don't have the abilities to fight against a talisman like this," Law said. "Eira and myself will handle this."

"But that's not-" Penguin started.

"He's right, Penguin," Shachi said placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We have no way of defeating someone like this. Face it. We're out classed."

Penguin growled. "Fine."

"We're coming up on the island," a wind Elemental shouted out.

"Then get ready," Shanks said. "We're heading right for Neo."

 _'Neo, we're almost there.'_

 _'I'm ready.'_

"Eira," Law said. "When we get to the house you are to hit it hard and get their attention."

"Whatever," Eira said.

The Elementals lowered the ships to the island then picked up the pirates and headed to where they sensed their royal.

"Now!" Law shouted.

Eira lifted her hands. Gathering in front of them, she formed two large ice balls then shot them at the house. The ice balls collided with the house, shattering the ice that covered the roof.

"Room." Law held up his hand. "Shambles."

Neo popped in front of Law holding the ice talisman. She smiled and threw her arms around his neck. The talisman's glow spread to him. "Law!"

"Neo!" the Heart Pirates shouted.

"I'm so glad to see you all." Neo smiled, her tears freezing like crystals on her cheeks.

Seconds later two figured ran out of the house.

"What's going on here?!" Andri demanded.

"You!" Neve looked up at Neo and glared. "Who are those people?! How did they manage to get here?! The Keepers were keeping a watch on the island!"

"The Keepers will no longer serve you," Polaris said appearing out of nowhere.

"Where did he come from?" Bepo asked.

"Keepers are fast runners," Neo said. She looked at her Elementals. "But there's no time to explain. We just have to keep them safe. They're not fighters like us."

"As you wish, Princess," an Elemental said as they all bowed to her. Some then scattered out around the island while some remained with the pirates.

"Well, looks like our disobedient daughter finally has returned," Andri said.

"I'm not your daughter!" Eira snapped. "You never cared about me at all! You only wanted me to do what you wanted! You used me!"

"Dear child, we do love you," Neve said sweetly. "All we wanted was to give you a sibling."

"No, you didn't," Polaris said. "You only used her for your selfish gain."

"Silence, you traitors!" Andri hissed.

"We did nothing to betray you!" Eira snapped.

"You spoiled little brat!" Fire flared up around Neve's body. "We gave you everything! We're your parents!"

"Neo and Law are her parents!" Polaris shouted out.

Confusion passed through everyone but for Neo and Law.

"What are they talking about?" Basil asked.

"I don't have a clue," Tero said.

"Eira was a result of Neo's bond with Law," Polaris said pointing at the couple. "Look at how they glow. That's one of many links to Eira."

Everyone eyes looked to Neo and Law. The Elementals set them down on the snow.

"They're glowing," Bepo said. "But it's not Neo's glow."

"This is just crazy," Ikkaku said.

"I guess that explains why Eira looks so much like Neo and the captain," Jean Bart said.

"What?" Eira asked. "It's not possible. It can't be."

"Eira, it's true," Polaris said. "You were born from their bond. You're their magical love child."

Eira stared at Polaris before bringing her eyes to Neo and Law.

"I'm sorry I never told you before, but we didn't know for sure until Neo arrived here," Polaris said. "That's why you have their memories, powers, and magic."

"Their my…" Eira dropped to her knees. "No…it's not possible."

"Of course it's not possible. Polaris is only telling you lies. Don't worry, Icy, I'll get rid of them for you. And then we can live happily together again." Neve lifted her hands and shot a blast of fire out at Neo and Law. "Fire Twister!"

"No!" Eira tossed out her hand, forming a shield around Neo and Law.

"You brat! What do you think you're doing?!" Neve demanded.

"I'm not really sure," Eira said. "I'm so confused about all of this. But I do know that Polaris cares about me. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it does make sense. Everything now makes sense. I was drawn to them because of their memories. They're…they're my parents."

"Eira," Neo said.

"I won't allow you to kill them." Eira leaped in between the four adults. "I won't let you."

"You spoiled brat," Neve said.

"Call me what you will," Eira said lifting up her hands. Ice gathered around them, snapping and crackling. "But I won't let you kill them."

"Then we fight!" Neve fired at Eira again. The heat of her fire rushed over everyone's skin. "Fire Twister!"

Eira fired back with her ice. She pushed back Neve's fire then charged at her while firing several ice shards.

"Fire Rings!" Neve formed multiple fire rings then threw them at Eira. They circle around her before attacking her at once.

Eira shielded herself with her ice as the fire rings hit. She leaped into the air and brought down an ice hammer on Neve.

Neve held up her hand, forming a small fire shield over it. Fire flared up around the ice. "Fire Shield!"

Eira continued to feed ice into her attack. The edges melted before her assault never lightened up.

…

"Why is Neve shouting out her attacks while Eira isn't?" Basil asked.

"It's like me," Neo said. "We're born with magic. We _are_ magic. We don't have to use words of any kind to call upon its power. Neve is human. While she was born with the fire talisman she's still not a magical being herself. She's still human. She has to call upon the magic from the talisman to be able to use it. The talisman then obeys her will." She looked at Polaris when he ran over to them. "Is that correct?"

"It is." Polaris nodded.

…

"You're too weak, Icy," Neve said increasing her fire. The fire gathered together and created a beam that started to break through the ice. "Fire Beam. You can't beat me. I've been using my talisman for years. You've only been using yours for two."

"Shut up," she said from her gritted teeth. She could feel her ice melting. The heat from the fire grew closer and closer to her. She lost control over her ice and warped, but not quick enough to go unscathed. The fire caught her on her arm, filling the air with burnt flesh. She cried out then disappear and reappeared a feet yards to her right. She dropped to one knee, panting.

"Pathetic," Neve said. "You never should have left."

…

"Eira!" Neo cried out.

"Crap! It's no good! Eira's not use to fighting like this!" Polaris said.

"We have to help her!" Neo said. She grabbed one of the bracelets and pulled. "I have to get these off!"

"You said you can get them off with the talismans those morons are wearing, right?" Law looked over at Andri. The man appeared like he didn't care who won the fight nor about the pirates close by. "Stay here, Neo. I'm getting you free."

"Law, wait," Neo said but Law warped.

"It'll be fine, Neo." Shanks put his hand on her shoulder. "You know he's not going to just sit around and take this."

"I know." Neo nodded. She placed her hand over his and watched Law and Eira fight. "I want to ask you to help them but I know you won't. This is their fight."

Shanks nodded.

…

Law appeared in front of Andri. With lightning fast speed, he pulled out his sword and swiped at the man.

"What the…?" Andri jumped away from the sword. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small dark purple talisman in the shape of a sword. It started to glow and grew in size. "Sword Extend."

"Free Neo or die," Law said.

"I'm not freeing her at all!" Andri said slicing back again Law's sword. "She's too valuable to let go!" The sword pulsed with a purple glow. He swiped it out at Law, shooting out several bullets made of the glow. "Bullet Shots!"

"Then die you will. Shambles," Law said. He warped the bullets back to Andri. They hit the man, causing him to fall on his back.

"What the heck?!" Andri looked down at himself. "What did you just do?!"

"You've never faced a real swordsman, have you?" Law asked.

"What's that suppose to mean?! I have a sword, don't I?!" Andri hissed.

"Yes, but I can tell in the way that you move that you rely on the magic part of that sword," Law said. "By doing that you weakened yourself against a skilled swordsman such as myself." With another swipe of his sword, Andri's hand popped off of his body. He grabbed the hand and warped it over to Neo. _'Neo, turn away. I know you still have issues with several body parts.'_

…

"Okay." The hand popped in front of her. Unable to touch it, she allowed Shanks to grab Andri's hand.

"How do I use this?" Shanks asked.

"Just hold it over Neo's wrist and say Binds Release," Polaris said.

"Binds Release," Shanks said. The talismans started to glow then fell from Neo's wrists.

"That's so much better." Neo wiggled her wrists while feeling her magic coming back to her fully. Her heart leaped when she heard Eira cry out in pain. The world slowed down. Neve's fire shot out to Eira and shot right through her lower abdomen. Gathering her crystals, she flew over to them. She used her winds and knocked Neve across the island then dropped down next to Eira. She summoned her solar crystal and engulfed Eira in its glow. "Eira! Just hold still! I'll heal you!"

"Don't be stupid! Keep your eyes on Neve!" Eira said.

Fire shot towards Neo. She leaned back, barely dodging it, dropping the talisman in the process. She pulled herself into the air and tossed some fire attacks at Neve. But the woman only absorbed the fire into her body. "Crap. I should have known that wouldn't work."

"Pathetic," Neve said.

"She's right," Eira said. "You have to be more ruthless than that to stop her. But you're too soft. You won't be able to do it."

"I don't have to be ruthless to stop her," Neo said. "I'll figure it out."

"With that attitude? You might as well just give you." Eira forced herself to sit up.

"What are you doing? Just stay still," Neo said. "You're going to-"

"I'm fine." Eira stood up, revealing little blood was dripping down her body.

"But how?" Neo asked.

"Remember! Eira's born of magic! She's not like everyone else!" Polaris called out.

"Well, that's nice," Eira said. "I don't bleed a lot but I can still be hurt."

"Eira, be careful," Neo said.

"Don't worry," Eira said standing up. "I doubt I can really die. Or at least die like you all can. I'm the only one who can fight Neve. You just stay back."

"I'm not going to do that!" Neo said. "You're too important to me to let you just do that!"

"Don't pull that sentimental garbage on me now," Eira said. "We're not friends at all. You know that's true."

"Maybe, but we just got off on the wrong foot," Neo said. "We have a connection. You've known that from the start. And we now know why. We're not just going to leave you to fight all by yourself."

Eira scoffed but smiled. "You really are a mother hen."

"Maybe I am." Neo smiled.

"I don't think your lover will like it but fine," Eira said. "We can fight this one together."

"Law won't mind. He'll come help us when he's done with Andri." Neo glanced over at Andri and Law. Law clearly had the upper hand. So she could tell that Neve was going to be the real issue. She brought her eyes over to Neve. Neve had her entire life to build up her fighting skills and her skills with her talisman. "Let's get this over with."

"Right." Eira nodded.

"You two are pathetic if you think you can beat me," Neve said. Fire flared up around her. "But let's see what you've got."

Eira threw her hands out, shooting streams of ice towards Neve.

Neo flew into the air. Summoning her wind and water crystals she created a waterfall of ice and pushed it down onto Neve.

"Not good enough!" Neve flared up. Her fire shot up around the ice, melting it with ease.

Eira growled and charged towards Neve. She threw ice punches while Neve dodged them.

"Give up, my child," Neve said. "You're not stronger than I am."

"Shut up! I'm not your child!" Eira hissed.

…

"It's no good," Topaz said. "Neve's fire is a lot hotter than Neo and Eira's ice."

"There's got to be something we can do," Penguin said.

"Like I said, Eira just doesn't have enough skills for a fight like this," Polaris said. "She's already used up a lot of magic. Before long she'll run out. And Neve's making sure to get Eira as angry as she can so she'll use up more of her magic."

"What will that do to her?" Topaz asked.

"She'll revert back to her normal baby snow leopard form," Polaris said. "Or even to her talisman form. If she goes back to her talisman form it's possible that she'll never come back to her other forms ever again."

"What?" Penguin asked.

"You could say that it's a form of dying for her," Polaris said.

Penguin clenched his fists. "And us chasing her around for days surely didn't help anything. Neo won't be happy about that. She'll be so upset."

"Neo won't let that happen," Shachi said. "We have to get that information to her." He looked over at their captain. Law still had the upper hand on Andri. He ran closer to the fight. "Hey, Captain! If Eira uses too much more of her magic she could turned back into the talisman and never come back!"

"What?!" Law blocked a sword swipe from Andri.

"She's not able to fight very well like this! Neo will need your help!" Shachi said.

"It matters not," Andri said swiping at Law.

Law blocked the attack with this sword.

"Even if you defeat me you will never be able to defeat Neve," Andri said. "We raised Icy to use her magic to freeze over the planet. We never taught her how to fight against us in case something like this happened."

Law growled at him.

"What's the matter? You clearly don't even like her," Andri said.

They shared a few more sword swipes. Law said, "That doesn't make her any less important to Neo. I will protect whoever Neo loves in order to protect her."

"Sickeningly sweat. But useless." Andri pulled back. His sword flashed. "It ends now!"

Law warped just before Andri could hit him with his sword. Appearing behind the man, he ran his sword through Andri's chest. He retracted his sword. Andri dropped to the ground. _'Neo, I'm coming up there.'_

 _'Okay.'_ Neo wrapped her winds around Law once he warped up beside her.

"Neo, listen, Eira is in danger of using up all of her magic," Law said. "If she does that she'll turn back into the talisman and stay like that forever."

"What?! We can't let that happen!" Neo said.

"We'll do what we can, but you know how stubborn Eira can be." They looked down at her. The young girl was still throwing attacks at their enemy. "We might not be able to stop her."

"Or maybe we can," Neo said.

"What?" Law turned to her.

"We can use her talisman," Neo said. She locked eyes with Law and held up the talisman. "She was born from our bond. We're also connected to this talisman."

"It might work," Law said. "But we've never dealt with a talisman before."

"We have to try," Neo said.

"All right." Law nodded. He warped his sword back down to the island and placed his hands under Neo's. "Let's see what we can do."

"I can sense the magic inside of it," Neo said.

"I'm counting on you to guide me through this. I've never done anything like this before," Law said.

"Just relax and feel for the ice," Neo said.

Law nodded. He focused on the talisman. Slowly he felt the cold tingling of the ice inside of the talisman. Ice came from the talisman, swirling around them. "Did we do it?"

"I think so," Neo said. "But we still have to defeat Neve."

"Let's try it," Law said.

Neo nodded. Connecting her mind to Law's she tried to help guide him in moving the ice down towards Neve.

Neve looked up in time to jump out of the way. "What the heck?!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Eira jumped to avoid the ice as well.

"Eira, we can't let you continue to fight like this," Neo said. "You're going to run out of magic."

"So what?!" Eira said. "I don't need you two to protect me!"

"But you've got us anyway," Neo said. "And we're not going to let you get turned back into the talisman."

"What?" Eira asked.

A gust of wind revealed Polaris. He said, "They're right, Eira. If you keep fighting like this you're going to revert back due to lack of magic."

Eira opened her mouth to reply but a flash of fire flew past her. Polaris's cry erupted in her ears. She saw the fire hit Polaris in the chest. He fell.

"This is all _your_ fault! Now die!" Neve said.

"Polaris!" Neo yelled as everyone ran over to him. She summoned her solar crystal and placed it near him.

"No!" Eira screamed. She turned and charged at Neve, throwing several fire attacks at her. "You're going to pay for that!"

"Eira, stop!" Law said.

"I won't!" Eira said. "That's the last time she's going to hurt him!"

"That child never listens. Shambles," Law said warping her up to them.

"What did you do that for?!" Eira demanded.

"We're trying to keep you alive!" Law said.

"Just leave me alone!" Eira warped back to the fight. Using more of her magic she tried to trap Neve in ice. But Neve easily melted it. "What do I have to do to stop you?!"

"You can't," Neve said. "You're not strong enough, little girl."

Eira exploded. Her ice shot out in several spikes. Neve melted them while everyone else dodged or blocked them with their own attacks. Eira dropped to her knees and panted hard. Her magic began to fade. Her snow leopard form shifted back to her human form before it started changing to her baby snow leopard form. "Darn it."

Neve laughed. "I told you. You have no idea how to actually control your emotions." She walked closer to Eira with a ball of fire in her hand. "And now you'll die." She threw it at Eira.

"No!" Neo flew her and Law down between the two and put up an ice wall between them as Law warped Eira over to their crew. "Take care of her!"

"We will!" Penguin yelled.

"So you think you can beat me?" Neve asked when the ice and fire vanished.

"I won't allow you to hurt my family any more!" Neo said.

"Family? You think that _thing_ is family? She's not even human." Neve laughed.

"So what if she's not human? If you haven't noticed…" The elements around them came alive. They lashed out violently but left her family and friends alone.

"What the heck is going on?!" Neve took a step back and looked at the out of control elements.

"…neither am I!" The ice talisman flared up around her and Law. The ground shook below them.

"What's going on?!" Neve asked.

"Your defeat," Law said. "That's what."

"No! I will not be defeated!" Neve lifted her hand over her head. Fire gathered into a fireball that kept growing.

The Elementals lined up in front of the pirates, protecting them with their winds.

Neo and Law launched the ice towards Neve from the ice talisman and from the ice that was on the ground.

Neve fired her fireball at them while jumping and dodging ice shards that came up from the ground. One caught her in the side, throwing her off balance. She cried out, her fire wavered. She got control and kept pushing her fire towards Neo and Law. "I won't lose!"

"Neo, we can't keep this up!" Law said when he felt Neo's own magic and strength fading. "It's too much on you!"

"I have to keep fighting!" Neo said.

"I know but you won't kill her!" Law said. "Do you think you can keep this up on your own?"

"What?" Neo looked up at him.

"Room. Shambles." Law's sword appeared in his hand. "If we keep this up then you're going to run out of magic. Neve is a lot more powerful that we would imagine. I have to take her out now. And right now she's distracted."

"All right," Neo said.

"Draw her focus as much as you can," Law said.

Neo nodded. Tapping more into the talisman she pushed more ice towards Neve.

Law waited for a few seconds before warping behind Neve. He shoved his sword through her heart. The heat and fire faded. He pulled his sword out and warped back to Neo.

Neo released the magic of the ice talisman and collapsed.

"Neo." Law wrapped his arm around her and lowered her to the ground.

"I'm okay," Neo said. "Just tired."

They looked up when a warm breeze blew over the island. The wind Elementals were pushing the clouds away and bring in the warm sun while keeping their winds blowing. Neo sighed and leaned into Law's embrace.

"Neo!" The pirates ran over to them.

"How is she?" Neo asked.

"I think she'll be fine," Penguin said. In his arms was Eira, in her baby snow leopard form, sleeping.

"And Polaris?" Neo asked.

"He'll live," Shanks said. "My doctor is looking at him right now. You're solar crystal helped him a lot already."

"That's good," Neo said.

Over the next couple of day the pirates and Elementals set out to give everyone on the island a proper burial after Neo and the Elementals thawed out the island. Once that was complete everyone who didn't belong on the island got ready to leave.

"Take care of yourself," Shanks said as he hugged Neo.

"You too," Neo said holding Eira and the talisman in her arms. "Thanks for everything."

"Of course." Shanks kissed her forehead. "You know I'll always come running when it comes to you." He cupped her cheek. "I'll talk to you later."

Neo nodded. She watched as the Red Hair pirates boarded their ship and sailed off. "I guess it's our time to leave."

"You're welcome here at any point in time," Polaris said.

"Are you going to be okay without Eira here?" Neo asked eyeing his healing skin.

"Of course." Polaris nodded. "Eira belongs with you and Law. Though I do hope to stop by some time to see how she's doing."

"You're always welcome on our sub," Neo said.

"Take good care of her and the talisman," Polaris said while stroking Eira's head. "And you behave yourself."

"Like that'll happen," Law said.

Eira hissed at him.

Neo giggled, earning a disapproving frown from Law.

"Captain, we're ready to go," Bepo said from the sub.

"Let's go," Law said.

"See you later, Polaris," Neo said before lifting herself, Eira, and Law up to the sub deck. Inside they headed down to their bedroom so she could secure Eira's talisman in her Luminous shelf. Standing in front of it she held up Eira to show her the pictures of her family. "These are my parents. They would love to have met you. Maybe you'll meet Kailen one day."

Eira tilted her head then wiggled from Neo's grip.

"You better not pee on the floor," Law said.

"She's trained, Law," Neo said looking at the talisman and her shelf, trying to figure out where to place it.

Eira sniffed and looked around the room before jumping up on the bed. She sniffed around Law's side then squatted.

"The little rat peed on my side of the bed," Law said. "I'm telling you she doesn't like me."

"I guess it's her revenge for the way you treated her." Neo placed the talisman inside of the shelf and closed it.

"She deserved everything she got," Law said. He grabbed Eira by the scruff of her neck and lifted her off the bed. "Spoiled little brats get punished."

Eira hissed and tried to scratch his face.

Law frowned and held her farther away from his face. "I'm not going to like having her stay in our room."

"It'll be fine." Neo walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his lips.

Law dropped Eira on the bed then wrapped his arms around Neo and kissed her back. The kiss was interrupted when Eira jumped upon his head. She placed her paws on his hat brim and pushed it down over his eyes. "See?"

"Eira." Neo took her from his head. "You behave."

"Room," Law said.

"Law, don't you-"

"Shambles."

Eira disappeared from the room.

"Law!" Neo crossed her arms over her chest.

"Don't worry." Law took Neo's chin in her fingers. "I only warped her into a storage room. We'll get her out later."

Neo growled at him. She was cut off by his lips pressing against hers.

…

 **Author Notes: Well, not the best fight ever. It just wouldn't come for me. I still need work on them and my endings. But it's finally complete. Thanks for reading and commenting. Sorry for mistakes. It's a long chapter to read. Off to write more stories.**


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